


meant to be (held)

by Caribena



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adoption, Age Play, Age Regression/De-Aging, Alien Character(s), Alien Culture, Alien Planet, Aliens, Animal Instincts, Animal Play, Animal Traits, Animal Transformation, Body Modification, Bubble Bath, Cat/Human Hybrids, Childhood Trauma, Collars, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Dehumanization, Dog/Human Hybrids, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Harnesses, Headspace, Human Pet, Hybrids, Infantilism, Kidnapping, Leashes, Light Angst, My First AO3 Post, Non-Sexual Age Play, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pacifiers, Past Child Abuse, Scenting, Self Confidence Issues, Stockholm Syndrome, Stuffed Toys, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Transformation, no smut just using those tags so ppl who dont know the difference can find this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24693856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caribena/pseuds/Caribena
Summary: As he walked, Caspian sighed in frustration and looked around. The sidewalk he was on overlooked a small, dirty creek. There wasn’t anyone out for blocks. He quickened his pace when he remembered how unsafe it was nowadays. Kids from all over were going missing in unnerving amounts. He even had a couple of classmates disappear. The incompetent police forces couldn’t find anyone if they tried; they were too busy protecting the elite. No one was safe really, but you were better off living near the capital.  He couldn’t imagine what the kids were going through.*:･ﾟ✧ or ✧･ﾟ:*Caspian Davis is an overworked and neglected soul who gets the love he deserves in a human care center (◡‿◡) This is my first work so pls leave any questions/requests/critiques/etc in the comments ✿ updates should be frequent, contains agere and nonsexual puppy/kitten play. Don't like don't read
Comments: 128
Kudos: 261





	1. Groceries

‘I can make it to 4. I can do this.’ Caspian took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. Maybe if he kept telling himself that, he could manifest some kind of strength into reality. 

Cas worked the graveyard shift at his local grocery store, The Early Bird. It was the only job he could land, and he was desperate. He thought his life would get better when he was hired, since this gig paid better than his last, but really nothing had changed. Every day was the same. Wake up, go to school, work, sleep and repeat. It felt like he was stuck in a time loop, how repetitive and draining all of this was. 

But if anything got him this far, it was hope. And he couldn’t lose what little he had left. Cas hoped he could graduate, attend a college far away from this pathetic city, get a degree and finally become a marine biologist. God, he loved the ocean. He loved its depths, its creatures and secrets. He wanted to be down there, studying and observing. He rarely had the opportunity to get close to the water though. The last time he went to the beach was with his dad; the memory was nice enough to relax his shoulders a bit. 

Unfortunately, the moment didn’t last long. The slam of groceries on his conveyor belt ripped him from his fantasies and right back into reality. He greeted the customer, who responded with a grunt. The exchange was over as quickly as it had started. Cas prayed to whoever was listening that no one else would come over before his shift ended. Thankfully the customers that night decided to avoid his register, and Cas was able to slip away, talk to his boss for a few minutes and leave. 

Cas shivered as he stepped into the parking lot. He slipped his ratty hoodie on, which did shit to protect him against the cold, even though it was a big on him. He was short for his age. He pulled his hood on, tucking his long twists in. A gust blew right through his clothes, and even with his scratchy uniform underneath he could only hope he didn’t get a cold. His deep bronze skin turned honey under the street lamps as he walked. He still had shopping of his own to do, so he walked to a corner store on the edge of the neighborhood. He couldn’t even afford to shop at the market he worked at.

Cas wasted no time in getting the usual. He just wanted to sleep. He grabbed a big bag of rice and as many cans of soup as he could carry. ‘Surprise, it’s soup and rice for dinner again,’ he thought bitterly. Cas’ stomach growled as he walked past all the food he couldn’t afford. He hadn’t had chocolate in so long... He’d roll over if it meant he could get his hands on some. He paid for the food, took a bag in each hand, and left to finally go home.

As he walked, Cas sighed in frustration and looked around. The sidewalk he was on overlooked a small, dirty creek. There wasn’t anyone out for blocks, which was surprising for a Friday night in Chicago. He quickened his pace when he remembered how unsafe it was nowadays. Kids from all over were going missing in unnerving amounts. He even had a couple of classmates disappear. No one was safe really, but you were better off living near the capital. The incompetent police forces couldn’t find anyone if they tried; they were too busy protecting the elite. He couldn’t imagine what the kids’ families were going through.

‘Would Mom care if I disappeared…?’ Cas grimaced. ‘She wouldn’t even notice I was gone.’

A wave of hurt hit him like a bus. Was this really what his life would look like for who knows how long? His job was exhausting; it was understaffed, dirty, and the customers almost always had an attitude. The apartment he lived in was cramped, cold, and musty. The only heat he got was from a nest of blankets in his room. And what about his dream? Every day he could feel it slipping through his fingers like fine sand. The longer he stayed in this hellhole, the longer he’d be stuck in the cycle. But where could he go? He barely made enough to support himself and his mom (who couldn’t keep a job to save her life) let alone move out.

The futility of it all finally got to him. Cas could feel tears pooling in his eyes. He was just so desperate for change. He couldn’t keep this up. Everything felt so _pointless_. No matter how many hours he put in, how much he begged his mom for help, even how good his grades were, Cas just couldn’t see any kind of future for himself anymore.

And when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, he heard a small _clink_ by his feet and looked down. His eyes widened when he realized that it was his pocket-sized terrarium, rolling down the sidewalk. His flimsy hoodie pocket must have ripped open. Cas hurried after it, minding the fragile bags he was holding. His stomach dropped as he watched the bottle disappear over the edge of the sidewalk. 

“No!” Cas dropped his bags and ran to where it fell, gripping the rusted rail and leaning over the edge to desperately search. If he squinted, he could make out the flicker of moonlight on the water in the bottle. It was miniature though, small enough to fit around his neck with the attached chain. It would take a while to get down there, find it, and come back up.

Cas leaned back as he tried to think of a plan while fighting back tears. He could just leave it and go home. He scoffed. That little bottle with a small water fern, some sand and water was the last thing his dad gave him. It had too many memories attached. To leave the bottle would be like leaving his dad behind. 

‘Just like he did to me...’ Cas thought bitterly. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn’t go down that rabbit hole now, there was too much to lose. He finally decided to just go for it. _He would leave his groceries, find a way down, grab the bottle and make it home right before his mom._

With his mind made up, Cas stood and walked over to where he dropped his bags. He piled them up and left them on the edge so he could see them when he got down to the creek. He then walked further along the sidewalk until he came to a sad excuse of a gate. It barely blocked the path into the urban forest. Cas easily slipped under it, not bothering to read the warning signs posted everywhere. He walked a little further until he came to a slope of rock and dirt. It was pretty steep, not to mention tall, and it didn’t look easy to climb down at all. But Cas could make out the outline of his bottle at the bottom. He bit his lip. One (probably) stable rock wall couldn’t be that hard to climb.

He started to lower himself onto the slope. He grabbed a nearby root that jutted from the ground. Giving it a few tugs to test it, he held on as he tried to get both feet on the wall. Once he got his hands on the wall too, he took a couple steps down. He made slow, but good progress. 

‘At this rate, I’ll be able to make some rice for my dinner tomorrow,’ he thought excitedly. But before he could celebrate, what little rock he stood on fell and took his foot with it. Cas could barely react as he lost his grip and slid down. The slope was jagged and unforgiving as it cut and bruised any part of his body it could connect to. He cried out when a huge rock tore the flesh of his shin open. He didn’t even hear the snap over his own screams. Cas tumbled until he finally slammed into the ground. The impact was hard enough to knock whatever breath he still had in him out. He was left, stunned and gasping in the dirt.

When he could take bigger breaths again, Cas tried to sit up. Dizziness hit hard and he flopped back down. Through tears that started to warm his cheeks, he saw something flash in the moonlight. Blinking rapidly, he managed to make out his terrarium. Ignoring the pain, he dragged himself as close as he could get before dropping. He reached a hand out and reached out desperately. Finally, he pressed a finger to it and managed to slide the bottle towards him. Once it was close enough, Cas held it protectively to his chest. He gingerly brought his knees up. And he cried.

Everything just poured out. It wasn’t loud wailing, but broken, quiet sobs. Little things like his bags and his job, his marine encyclopedias he would spend days studying in his free time, his posters and pens, he would lose it all. His parents, his few friends, his dreams. All for the stupid little bottle he was holding like his life depended on it. In a way, it did. 

No one was going to look for him. If someone did find him, it would probably be too late. What did it matter anyway? He was tired and hungry; a cold numbness was setting in. Cas couldn’t fight the darkness as it dragged him from consciousness.


	2. Patchwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i already had this chap done b/c i didn't wanna bore yall w/ the 1st chap LOL

_ “Hi Misha! Is the mission going well?” Seya asked. He was an optimistic person, but usually the rescue team didn’t call this late unless it was an emergency. _

_ “Yeah, well, we got one,” Misha said. “It looks like he’s joining your group too. But…” _

_ “But?” _

_ “He’s going to need you to check on him as soon as possible.” _

_ Seya frowned. He’d wait as long as it took for the rescuers to get back. “When will you get here?” _

* * *

Ever since Seya got a call about an injured human, he couldn’t keep his mind off of it. He paced in the lobby of the Society for the Welfare of Humans (S.W.H.), the human care center he worked at. It was a nervous habit of his. He still had a job to do of course, so the humans already in his care were pampered and fast asleep. But the rescuers who found the little one said he was in a desperate condition and needed help immediately. They did what they could to stop any bleeding, but they specialized in rescuing humans, not treating them. Seya glanced at a clock to check the time.

The rescuers were a pair of his coworkers who went back and forth to Earth to rescue humans. Their ship was practically silent, undetectable, and efficient. They took them out of horrible living conditions and into the care of qualified caregivers. Humans were such cute creatures, Seya  _ loved _ caring for them. They were so creative and everything they did made him want to squish their cheeks. 

They just weren’t very good at running their own planet. It was a valiant attempt though. The near constant war, the poverty; they were even destroying the planet they lived on! Humans needed love, attention, and control. And Seya was happy to give it to them. This world, Ihriah, was much better equipped to care for them. Especially the S.W.H., with a full-time staff of experienced vets and trainers, plenty of room for the little ones to run around in, and tons of activities to keep them engaged and entertained.

“Take a deep breath, Seya,” the voice said with a chuckle. “You’re going to work a dent into the floor if you keep acting like a maniac.” Seya sighed. It was Pavel, the receptionist. Tonight she was wearing a white blouse with a cinnamon colored cardigan; they complimented her black fur. He put down a chair and turned her way, toward the front desk. 

“I know Pav. I just get so worried about the new rescues, especially this one. No baby should have to go through what he’s gone through.” He ran a hand over his head of snakes to calm them; they got very squirmy when he was anxious. “What if the poor thing doesn’t make the trip?”

Pavel paused. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.” She nodded toward the front door. Seya whipped around, and he could see two figures rushing to the door. He hurried to hold the door open for them. It was the rescuers, and in good spirits, albeit a little damp from the rain. The first one to enter had a little bundle in his arms. 

“The little guy made it, Seya!” Misha, the one holding the baby, said excitedly. Ashim, his twin, was behind him smiling widely. The rescuers were identical twins, and the only way to tell the two apart was the color of their markings. They were pretty tall, even by Ihriahian standards, had grayish skin and long, winding tails. 

“Oh, thank the gods,” he sighed in relief. “Let me have a look at him.” Seya reached for the bundle, concern written all over his face. Misha passed it over, and Seya cradled it like it was his own young. He moved a bit of the blanket out of the baby’s face and cooed. The baby was sleeping, though it didn’t look very peaceful. He was making little whimpering noises, and there were dried tears mixed with fresh ones on his cheeks. He shivered and leaned into Seya’s warmth as he rocked him gently.

“He’s adorable. I’m going to the back to fix him up right away. Tell me the details of the mission later. I’ll start his file, have the report done by tomorrow, please and thanks, bye!” 

Seya hurried to the clinic in the back. None of the tables were occupied, since it was so late. He set a towel down on one and tenderly laid the baby on it. After washing his hands and snapping on a pair of gloves, he put the baby on a heavy sedative so he could work without causing the poor thing any more pain.

After a quick, but thorough, examination (eye tests, x-rays, and the usual) Seya had a better idea of what he was dealing with. He knew he could get the little one walking again in no time, thanks to their advanced medicine. His condition wasn’t the best, but he’d seen worse. The baby had plenty of minor injuries, like cuts and scrapes, but he was really concerned with his leg and his weight. His left shin had a huge gash in it, and had a small fracture. He was also terribly underweight. Nothing a little TLC couldn’t solve. 

He started by gathering bandages, sutures, tweezers, and anything else he needed. The fracture was small and didn’t need surgery (thank the gods), so his next priority was the gash. He disinfected it, stitched it up and bandaged it along with any other wounds. The baby was due for a bath, so he washed him up and applied some lotion. It wasn’t over yet though; he still needed to be chipped. Seya bent down and searched through drawers for a pen and chip. He grabbed one and flipped the human around while holding him. They needed to be held during this process to keep them from thrashing and possibly hurting themselves.

Seya pressed the tip of the pen to the base of the baby’s spine and pressed the plunger. With the chip in place, it only took a minute or two for the effects to kick in. The baby tensed and whined in discomfort. Seya petted and praised him through it. The involuntary movements were caused by the chip working its way into the humans’ system. Chips lowered aggression and anxiety, and made them more receptive to things like commands, praise, and reprimands. Some (like the one this human had) turned them into hybrids. Seya specialized in dog hybrids, so naturally he went with a dog hybrid chip.

Almost five minutes passed until the baby finally gave in and went limp. It usually lasted longer, but this human was just too exhausted to fight it. Seya wasted no time in getting him ready for a much needed rest and recovery. He put a removable and weighted cast on the baby’s leg to keep him from using it too much. He dressed him in a simple tee and night shorts; any other items would be ripped in the transformation he was about to undergo. 

“Alright honey, let’s get you into a nice comfy bed so you can rest,” he said, more to himself than anyone else. The baby wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon; the sedative would keep him asleep well into tomorrow. When he woke up, Seya would be right there to answer an inevitable flood of questions. Who wouldn’t be confused after waking up with a tail?

He carried the human to a room right next to where the other hybrids slept. He made sure to keep his steps feather light as he made his way to a crib they had prepared earlier. Seya swaddled the baby nice and snug.

“There you go baby. Sweet dreams,” he whispered as he set the little one down. He tucked him in and put a plush next to him. He nuzzled into it and looked much more content, now that he was warm and fixed up. Seya wanted to get some food into him, but it would unfortunately have to wait until he woke up. He didn’t want to risk giving the pup an upset stomach. He turned on the baby monitor for the overnight staff; if they noticed anything odd, there would be a nurse right there to help the baby back to sleep. 

Seya slipped out and sat at his desk, starting the baby’s file. Misha would finish it with the details of the mission, and any information from his record on Earth. He finished up and cleaned anything he missed in the playroom. Most of his coworkers were already done for the day; he stayed behind to take care of the new human. He didn’t regret it either, the little one was just so cute! His snakes wiggled in happiness, so much so that he had to put his headband on to keep them still. 

“I know, I know! I love him already too! We’ll get to see what kind of puppy he is tomorrow.” He made his way to the staff room, now that his job here was done. He pulled on his jacket and yawned. “But it’s late, so let's head home, yeah?” Seya hoped the human wouldn’t be  _ too _ scared of him.


	3. New Beginnings

Cas had never felt so well rested. He was warm, nothing ached and sleeping in was a rarity; it must be a holiday. He stretched and was about to roll over when his arm hit something. Confused, he cracked an eye open to see what he hit, since his bed didn’t touch any walls. Cas’ eyes widened when he realized that this was not his bed. It looked like...a dog crate, but from the inside. A cold spike of panic ran through him when he tried to remember what happened last night, if it even was last night.

‘Where the hell am I..?’ he thought as he shot up. He threw his blanket to the side to see his leg, but there was a dark blue cast on it. There were bandages and first aid tape all over him. Even his wrist had a brace, the same color as his cast. How bad was his fall..? He started to run fingers through his hair when his hand brushed against something furry. Something he could feel with, like it was a body part. Before he could have a full-fledged freak out, Cas heard kissing and clicking outside of the crate. Like someone was trying to call a dog. 

“Can you hear me in there baby?” a voice said. Cas figured it was talking to him. It sounded friendly, but Cas learned the hard way not to trust easily. He responded with a quiet ‘mhm’, hoping the voice didn’t ask him to speak up.

“That’s good. Can you come out and say hi? I promise I won’t hurt you,” they said. Cas weighed his options. He could stay in here, go back to sleep and hopefully wake up from this insane dream. But this felt all too real. He was really in a dog crate, and being coaxed out by some mysterious voice. But his need for answers overpowered his apprehension. He was always curious to a fault. Besides, whoever was out there wouldn’t hurt him if they bothered to fix him up...right? 

“Good boy!” the voice praised as he crawled out, minding his wrist. When he poked his head out, Cas could put a face to the voice. A face that was not human. He was supernaturally tall; probably reaching ten feet standing up. He was sitting at a kiddie-style table, reading a novel. He had tan skin, light pink eyes with slit-like irises and long, winding snakes in a ponytail for hair. They were a darker pink, and seemed to sparkle in the evening sun. He was wearing trousers and a soft turtleneck, and a lanyard with a name badge. The Gorgon-man flashed a fanged smile as he waved.

“Hi there, sweet boy!” His voice was high pitched and soft, as if he was talking to a baby. “My name’s Seya, and I’m your caretaker!” When Seya spoke, Cas realized he was staring. He crawled all the way out and sat, trying to avoid eye contact. Looking around the room, he noticed some of the furniture was huge.

“What’s wrong, baby? Am I too scary?” he asked sympathetically. Cas shook his head. He wasn’t scary, really, but everyone knew the myths. Gorgons were snake-like creatures that could petrify you with their stare alone. “I think I know what’s wrong. Aww, it's okay puppy! Nothing bad will happen if you look in my eyes!”

Cas looked at him for a couple seconds, testing the waters. He realized Seya’s eyes wouldn’t hurt him, but he was never a direct person anyway, so he looked down again. 

“Hi..” he said quietly, staring at his hands. He froze when he noticed he had claws; they weren’t too long, but long enough to do some damage. Seya must have noticed too. 

“I know you’re probably wondering why you have puppy ears and a tail, which are adorable, by the way,” Seya gestured to a dog bed by the side of his chair. “Why don’t you come sit so I can tell you all about it?” At the mention of a tail, Cas spun around. Low and behold, there was a human-sized tail sticking out from under his shirt. It was light gray and looked like it belonged to a short-haired dog. He felt his face heat and he scrambled into the dog bed. It was one of the softest things he ever felt. 

“What a good boy!” Seya reached down toward his head slowly, as if he was asking permission to pet him. Cas bowed his head and allowed it (he had no idea what would happen if he said no). But he was handsomely rewarded with the best head scratches he had in his life. They were right behind his dog ears and made him melt. He slumped against Seya’s leg. Cas vaguely noticed his tail wagging. 

“So, like I said before, I’m Seya, your caregiver. I work with dog hybrids, and you’re my brand new puppy! I can’t wait to get to know you,” he waved his free hand around as he spoke. “I know I might look a little strange to you, but that’s because humans don’t get exposed to too many other races.”

“There are two other pups and two kittens, who you’ll meet soon enough. But right now, I’d like to know more about you,” he looked down. “Let’s start with your name!”

Cas met his eyes but ducked his head again. “Caspian,” he said softly.

“I love it! Can I call you Cas?” He nodded. “Great! What’s your favorite color?”

“Cobalt blue.”

“What a pretty color! Very fitting for such a pretty boy!”

The conversation continued with Cas answering basic icebreakers, and getting praised no matter what he answered. He could get used to this. It was interrupted when Cas’ stomach let out a mean growl. 

“Oh! You poor thing! You must be starving!” He looked at a clock on the wall. “Thankfully it's almost dinner time.” Seya resumed the head scratches, like he was trying to distract him from his growing hunger pangs. “Since you were asleep for a little longer than we expected, our time alone is cut a teeny bit short. I’ll answer any pressing questions you have instead of just talking at you!” Any questions he had? Cas had tons, but he went for the big one first.

“Why do I have a tail and ears?” 

“Because you’re a hybrid silly!” Seya answered easily. “Would you like to see them?”  
Cas looked up and nodded. That didn’t really answer anything, but he was dying to know what his ears looked like. Seya grabbed something from off of the table and handed it to him. It was a mirror, and Cas gasped at his reflection. 

He was expecting the ears to be grey to match his tail. They were flopped and facing forward, and started where his original ears were and ended at the top of his head. There were a couple of pieces of first aid tape on his cheeks. But what caught him off guard were his eyes. Instead of the dark brown they were before, they were a piercing, icy blue. They went well with his twists, which turned white at the tips. He opened his mouth on a whim and recoiled when his tongue lolled out. It was way longer than he remembered and looked exactly like a dogs. His canines were longer and sharper.

“Whoa,” he whispered, twisting his head around to see everything. He really did look like a puppy. 

“I know! I’m so glad we found you when we did!”

Blurry memories of his fall came back to him. “Wait, what happened when you found me?”

Seya’s expression softened. “You took a _biiiggg_ tumble and got really hurt. Your little leg and wrist got the worst of it, so try not to use them too much. Okay?” Cas nodded again. “Good boy.”

Cas suddenly remembered why he fell. He groped his chest, trying to find his bottle, and panicked when he couldn’t feel it. Seya sensed his distress.

“It's okay baby, just breathe. You’re alright,” he said softly. “Is this what you’re looking for?” He took something smaller from the table and held it out to Cas. It was his terrarium! He tried to hide his excitement as he snatched it and threw it around his neck. He couldn’t contain his smile. 

“You really kept it?” he asked in awe. 

“Of course! We figured it was important to you,” Seya said, as if it was no big deal. Cas thanked him by hugging his leg. He paused, like he wasn’t expecting such a reaction from the shy puppy, then pet his head. “Oh, you’re welcome baby! Such a good boy!”

Cas pulled back while still enjoying the pets. He rolled the bottle in his palm, and his smile faltered. “It was a gift from my dad, before he, y’know,” he trailed off.   
  
Seya looked down at him fondly and gently cupped his face. “I know your parents weren’t very nice. You had to work harder than any baby ever should. But I promise you’ll find a new family with us here. Will you let me take care of you?” 

Icy eyes met pink ones, and Cas could see the sincerity in them. He was so tired of his exhausting life, and this could be the change he was looking for. It wasn’t a biology degree by any means, but a life of no tough decisions and pampering didn’t seem bad at all. 

“Okay,” he said softly. “That sounds fine.” 

Seya beamed. “Oh, you’re so cute! Thank you Cas! I promise you won’t regret it!” He glanced at the clock again. “Good news, baby, it's dinner time! Let’s go put something in that tummy!” He stood, and Cas had to crane his neck to see his face from full height. “Stay,” he said a little firmly. Cas had no problem sitting where he was, since his cast held him down like a ball and chain.

Seya walked to the front of the small room where a set of small hooks were. He took a blue bundle of rope off and walked back. As he got closer Cas could make out the end of a leash, where the person would hold it. 

“Can you stand up for me, pumpkin?” He nodded and did his best not to put pressure on his leg. “What a good boy!” Cas kept his eyes on the ground as Seya kneeled and got to work. He quickly put on what Cas realized was a harness, and gave it a few testing tugs. Cas couldn’t help but roll his shoulders and fidget; the harness felt a little strange. 

“All done! Thank you for staying so still!” Seya rewarded him with scritches under his chin that made his eyes flutter. “Upsy daisy!” he said as he hooked large hands under his arms and lifted him effortlessly. Cas made a startled noise from the back of his throat and grabbed his sweater in a death grip. 

“Whoa, its alright buttercup. You’re alright. I’d never drop you,” Seya said as he ran a soothing hand over his back. Cas relaxed and let his head rest on his shoulder. 

“It probably seems silly to harness you when I was going to pick you up anyway, but it's the rules. I'm sure you don't mind,” he made his way to the door. “Besides, I’ll have it off as soon as we get to the playroom. It’ll take a little while to get used to.”

‘It’ll take a while to get used to _all_ of this,’ Cas thought as Seya carried him through white hallways painted with cute, colorful designs. The gentle rocking and warmth were starting to make him sleepy again. 

Yeah. This was fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cas' breed is a Blue Lacy btw (─‿‿─)


	4. Waiting

As they made their way down the corridor, Cas figured this was where the ‘playrooms’ were. Each door was personalized, like a kindergarten classroom, and had a window. Seya came to a stop in front of a lavender door that had construction paper crafts all over it. There was a keypad under the door handle, but Seya swiped his name badge in it and a little light turned green.

“Hi babies! I’m back! And I have a new friend with me!” he announced as he walked in and closed the door behind him. “He’s sleepy though, so we have to be a little quiet.” He gently bounced Cas, probably to keep him awake. Cas could hear footsteps running toward him. 

“Seya’s back!” a definitely human voice said. 

“Hiiiii!” another one shouted. Seya must have put a finger to his lips, because Cas heard a bunch of little ‘sorry’. 

“Can we see him?” the second voice (who was much quieter) asked. 

“After we eat, okay? He’s very hungry,” he ran a hand over Cas’ back. “For now, go sit so you can put something in your tummy! Go on!” He heard giggles and more footsteps, this time going away. Seya walked further into the room, so Cas closed his eyes again to avoid attention. He was content to just enjoy the closeness while Seya took him wherever. He was murmuring to someone else, asking about a bottle. Another caregiver maybe? He would have given it more thought, but he was lifted off Seya’s shoulder as he sat down. Cas was being cradled in the crook of his arm, like one would hold a baby. He made a sound of protest and Seya hushed him.  
  
“Wake up, sleepy boy. Can you say ‘ah’?” Cas opened his eyes and there was a baby bottle in his face. He cringed and pursed his lips. It was one thing to be treated like a dog, but a baby too? He thought he was getting actual food; he could smell some in the room. “I know you’re starving sweet pea. Just a few sips? I promise it’s yummy,” he said as he brought it closer. 

Cas’ stomach growled angrily, as if it was telling him to put aside his pride and just take it already. Hesitantly, he took the bottle in and sipped. His eyes fluttered closed as he found himself greedily drinking it down. It was milk as he expected, but it was warm and sweet like vanilla. He couldn’t stop drinking if he wanted to. 

“That’s my good boy,” Seya murmured. The milk was pretty filling, and now that he had something on his stomach, he was getting tired again. His sips got longer and slower while he heard more whispering and the same voice from earlier. 

“Hey, Cas, sweetie. There’s someone I want you to meet before you go to sleepy land. Can you say hi to Zeph?” Seya asked. Cas opened his eyes and found three looking back at him. Zeph had ivory skin, long platinum blond hair, and three golden eyes. He was wearing round glasses that had an extra circle and a black slim-fit sweater. Overall, his aesthetic screamed ‘angel’ and Cas was a little intimidated. He timidly waved.

“It’s nice to meet you, Caspian. My name is Zephon, but you may call me Zeph. I specialize in cat hybrids, but I will be your co-caretaker here. I look forward to our time together,” he said softly. His voice was melodic and soothing, and it complimented Seya’s friendly and encouraging demeanor. Cas could only nod and avert his eyes. Zeph chuckled. 

“He is as shy as you said, Seya, but even more adorable. Perhaps I will get to know him tomorrow, when he has had a good night’s sleep.” Cas realized he was drifting and snapped his eyes open. It was Seya’s turn to laugh. 

“Aw, it’s okay muffin, you can sleep. We know how tired you are. We’ll be right here when you wake up.” Cas needed no further encouragement. He let his eyes droop while still taking lazy drags from the bottle.

* * *

“..sst. Psst! Hey! Puppy, wake up! Puppy!” a voice half-whispered in his ear. It ripped him from another great sleep, leaving him disoriented. Cas grumbled and rolled over, hoping whoever it was would go away. 

“PUPPY!” they shouted in his ear. Cas gasped and shot up. He looked around, trying to find who the hell screamed. He was in some kind of cot; it had high mesh walls that he could more or less see through. He looked up and saw a very excited face looking down at him. He had curly hair pulled up in a puff (probably to keep it out of his face) and tan skin. He had bright, green eyes and a wide smile. His ears were front facing and floppy, and his tail was long and wagging excitedly behind him. His fur was long and peppered with black and white.

“Hi puppy! I’m Ziggy!” he said as he bounced on his toes. He had to stretch to see over the rim of the cot, which was probably tall to keep whoever was inside from leaving and vice versa. “Wow, your ears! They’re so cool!”

This was the first other hybrid he’d seen, and he was instantly unnerved. Ziggy’s shouting only startled him more. He was frozen like a deer in headlights and whimpered. It sounded exactly like a dog’s and rang through the room.

“What’s going on? Ziggy, did you wake up the pup?” Seya said from somewhere behind him.   
  
Ziggy spun around. “I didn’t mean to! I swear! I just wanted to play!”

“We talked about this. You were not to disturb the baby,” Seya sighed as he walked over and scooped Cas up, bouncing him a little. “This is all new to him, and he’s very fragile. He hasn’t even learned how to be a puppy yet!” Cas had his face buried in Seya’s shirt, but he heard Ziggy mumble out an apology. 

“It’s alright. I know you’re excited to meet him. Please follow my directions next time, okay?”

“Okay!” He was right back to his hyper self. Cas heard his footsteps run away, probably to find something else to play with. Seya shook his head fondly.

“It’s still pretty early, honeypie. Do you want to go back to sleep?” Seya asked him. He shrugged. Ziggy’s voice was still ringing in his ears, which were much more sensitive, but he was still sluggish. “That’s okay. I’ll hold you in the meantime, since you’re such a little cuddle bug!”

Cas was carried through the early morning routine. Apparently it was only Seya, Ziggy and himself in the room. Zeph was getting the kittens ready for the day somewhere down the hall, and the other pup would be joining them soon. For now, it was quiet, minus Ziggy growling and tearing something with his teeth and Seya setting a table. He felt himself dozing again. 

Until he was being laid on something soft. “As much as I want to, I can’t hold you all day baby. I have to go get the other pup and help with breakfast. You’ll get yours in a teeny bit. For now, is there anything you want to read about?” Seya asked. Cas didn’t even have to think about it.

“Fish? Please?” he asked. Seya smiled and looked through one of the surrounding bookcases. They were in a corner of the playroom that was filled with books and beanbags. It had a fuzzy carpet and TV on the wall. The beanbag Cas was on was so big his feet couldn’t touch the ground.

“How about this one?” He held it out to Cas, who had to bite his lip to keep himself from squealing when he saw it. It was about this planet’s deadliest aquatic predators. 

“Thank you!”

“Of course, baby. Now don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back,” he gave a couple of goodbye scratches and walked around the bookcases. They were blocking his line of sight, so he couldn’t see anything but the ceiling behind them. Cas wanted to dive into the book, but the smell of some kind of breakfast food hit his nose and he had to fight the urge to let his tongue loll out of his mouth. He heard voices too, and the clink of silverware. He wondered what the other hybrids were up to. 

Seya told him not to go anywhere, but that meant out of the area, right? He put the book to the side and pushed himself down. He had to crawl, but he made his way to two bookshelves separating him from the rest of the room. They had a few inches of space between each other, so Cas peeked through. Zeph was in a far corner, organizing paints. He saw the table the other hybrids were eating at. There were four of them: a blond cat, a brunette with long hair and ears, another cat with auburn hair, and Ziggy. The blond was cringing away from Ziggy, who had shit table manners. After taking a big bite of toast, he looked up. He caught Cas’ eye. 

“Puppy!!” Cas jerked back from the shelves as Ziggy charged his way. He rounded the corner soon enough and had Cas trapped. He heard the scrape of chairs against the floor and more footsteps his way. Cas whimpered as he tried to scoot backward. 

“Let’s play!” Ziggy practically tackled him and started nipping and wrestling with him. Cas tried to push him off, but he only had one arm and leg to work with. Ziggy saw it as fighting back, because he only attacked harder. Cas just curled up, hoping he would interpret it as a surrender. Thank God it worked. 

“I win!” Ziggy lapped at his face, and Cas hid behind his arms. He screwed his eyes shut and prayed Seya would come back. He only heard the other hybrids running up to them. 

“Ziggy! Get off him!” one said as they dragged him back. 

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” another one asked. “Puppy? Speak to me!” Cas only shook harder. He felt arms pull him into a sitting position and take his hands from his face. Now he had to face all four of the other hybrids. They all looked concerned.

“You okay?” the long-haired one asked. Cas could feel tears welling up in his eyes. Fear flashed across their faces.

“No no shhh, don’t cry. It’s okay. Please don’t cry,” the blond said as he pulled Cas into a tight hug and pat his back. “You’re alright. It’s okay.” Cas found some kind of comfort in the fact that he was smaller than the blond and clutched his shirt. He tried to keep calm. He didn’t even know these people; he couldn’t cry in front of them. “Mason, go get a paci or something!” he hissed. He heard someone run off and come back. 

“Here, I grabbed the first one I saw,” someone said as they handed something to the blond. He pulled Cas away and shoved the pacifier in his mouth. Before he could spit it out, he was back in the crook of his neck. Cas just held it in his mouth, too shocked to react. The other hybrids took his silence as contentment, and they all let out a sigh of relief.

“Ziggy, are you out of your mind!?” the brunette said through his teeth. “You scared the pup half to death!” Cas heard an ‘ow!’ from Ziggy. 

“You’re so lucky we didn’t get cau─”

“What is going on here?” It was Zeph. “Why are you all here instead of eating? Give me the pup.” He walked over and pulled Cas into his arms. Cas whimpered and latched on to Zeph, holding on for dear life. Everything was happening too fast and everyone was too close and he faintly noticed his breath was only coming in short gasps. 

“Breathe for me, puppy. It's alright,” Zeph said, his voice low and soothing while he gently bounced him and rubbed his back. “That must have been so scary, being left alone like that, hm? That’s it. In and out. What a good boy.” Cas paced his breathing with the hand on his back, and slowly the tight feeling in his chest was going away. He went lax in his arms.

“Mason, let go of Ziggy’s ear. Luca, you have thirty seconds to tell me why you were holding the baby.” So, the blond must’ve been Luca, and the brunette was Mason. There were too many names. 

“Well, you see... We heard the baby whine, so we came over to keep him company,” Luca explained. “Then we gave him a paci so he wouldn’t cry.” Cas had no idea why the other hybrids were so set on treating him like a baby. He couldn’t have been that much younger than them; they looked his age. 

“Is that so?” Zeph said. “Is this true, Cas?” Cas nodded. He didn’t want to snitch and get them in trouble. They seemed nice, even Ziggy. It was quiet for a long moment, like he was scrutinizing the others.

“Very well then. Next time, get me or Seya. Go back and finish your food,” he said finally. The hybrids scampered off, probably happy they got off scot-free. 

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Zeph’s voice turned much softer. He took out the paci. 

“I-I’m fine,” he said in a small voice. 

“Are you sure?” Cas nodded. “Alright then. Seya should be here with your breakfast in a moment. You can stay with me for now.” He carried him to a chair and sat down, cradling him in one arm. Zeph was a couple feet shorter than Seya, but just as nice to snuggle into. 

He did miss his caregiver a little bit, though. Which left him feeling weird, since they spent hardly any time together. But he was so easy to get comfortable around, and he had already figured out where Cas liked to get scratched the most. Again, he felt weird about his ears and tail and such. What about this wasn't weird, though? He had a ten foot tall man with snake hair carry him around and bottle feed him, like he was a baby and a pet. The attention was nice, he supposed.

He did _not_ want Ziggy's attention though. He didn't even seem evil, just way too hyperactive for Cas to handle. With his broken leg, he had no way to run away. Luca and Mason didn't seem that bad, he was actually glad they came to the rescue. He had no idea what the other kitten, the redhead, was like. 

He would have given it more thought, but Zeph stopped him. "I can hear the gears in your head turning, darling. Why don't you just relax with me while we wait." He used his free hand to scratch around Cas' ears until he found a spot that made him forget he was upset. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like im introducing characters too quickly (◡△◡) i promise theres only the 2nd kitten left (*~▽~)


	5. Playtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall i am so sorry this chap took so long ಥ‿ಥ i was editing all the previous chaps bc i got a beta!!! (gb you Steel✿!!) so go back and read the edits if you want! (nothing plot-wise changed)

“I’m back! I hope everyone behaved while I was gone!” a voice rang out across the room. Cas perked up. Seya was back! He raised his arms and whined, trying to get his attention.

“Hi pup! Did you miss me?” he asked as he walked over and picked him up. “I didn’t think you’d be so quick to steal my pup, Zeph,” he said playfully. 

Zeph turned in his chair. “He was lonely in the corner you abandoned him in.” Seya scoffed and held his hand to his chest in fake offense. 

“Cas was fine until you came over and bothered him. Isn’t that right baby? Wag your tail if you agree.” He scratched under Cas’ chin in a way that made him keen. “See? Now move so I can give  _ my _ puppy breakfast.”

Zeph laughed and stood. He walked over to the hybrid’s table to clear it and give Ziggy a much-needed napkin. They all ran off to different sections of the room, doing their own thing. Seya grabbed the bottle from where he set it down and adjusted Cas so he was back in the crook of his arm. Cas took the bottle with hardly any hesitation; today he could taste cinnamon in the milk.

“My puppy has a sweet tooth, huh?” Seya said softly. Cas nodded and looked around. Now that he wasn’t getting mauled, he could actually get a good look at the other hybrids.

Luca was in the dress-up station with Zeph, who was brushing his ears. They were white and fluffy, like his tail, which was swishing lazily behind him. His hair was blond and almost shoulder length, and parted down the middle. His eyes were a honey color, from what he could tell. Luca looked pretty blissed out, like getting groomed was relaxing. All the hybrids had the same black shorts, but they had different colored tees. He wondered if he would get to choose his color, since his tee was white.

Mason was playing with action figures by a big basket full of random toys. His ears and tail were long, furry and dark brown, like his hair, which was so long it almost covered his eyes. They went well with his sandy brown skin. His eyes were chestnut and looked playful. If his idea of playing was anything like Ziggy’s though, he’d have to watch out for him. He was the tallest of all the hybrids, who knew what he was capable of. He looked friendly, but Cas was still wary. 

Then there was the cat he still didn’t know yet. Cas hadn’t even heard him talk yet. His hair was auburn, and his eyes were jade; they looked tired but perceptive. His ears and tail were dark gray and fluffy. He was coloring very lightly in an activity book. 

Cas didn’t notice he was drinking from an empty bottle until Seya pulled it back.“ All done!” he said as he put the bottle down. “Right now, it’s free time. You can do whatever you want! Maybe you want to go back to your book, or find someone to play with?” At the mention of playing, Mason and Luca perked up. They both ran over, obviously excited.

“Puppy, you should come with me! Grooming is sooo soothing,” Luca said first. “I can scent you while Zeph brushes your ears!” Getting brushed sounded okay. But he had no clue what scenting was. Before he could ask, Mason piped up. 

“Or, you could do something actually fun and play action figures with me! I know a lotta superheroes and games. We could play yours too!” Mason said. His idea didn’t sound half bad either; Cas had a big imagination, and he kind of wanted to see what worlds the two of them could come up with. Luca had other plans, though.

“Why would he want to play ‘Zombies vs. Aliens’ or whatever you come up with over there? He obviously wants to go with me,” he scoffed. 

Mason crossed his arms and puffed out his chest. “Well, I’m the alpha, so if he was gonna listen to anybody, it’d be me,” he said matter-of-factly. 

“You’re the alpha of the dogs, not me. I can do whatever I want and play with whoever I want.”

“This isn’t even about you!”

“Well you started it!”

The two went at it like there was no tomorrow. He heard Seya sigh above him, like this happened regularly. Cas was starting to get nervous. What if they made him choose? He didn’t want to get on any of their bad sides. Just as he started fidgeting anxiously, he felt a tug on his shorts. He looked down and saw the red-haired hybrid looking up at him. He held up a puzzle activity book. Cas looked between the redhead and the still arguing hybrids; he didn’t seem too threatening. He nodded and signaled to Seya to put him down. Seya took the hint and let him down as discreetly as possible. Once he was on the floor, he and the redhead slipped away to the reading corner.

“Thanks for the save,” he whispered when they were alone. The redhead nodded. 

“Too much confrontation,” he said with a slight accent; it sounded European but Cas couldn’t name it. “Had to get away quickly.”

Cas nodded back. “I’m Cas. You?”

“Adrian.”

“Cool. Do you have an extra pen?”

Adrian passed him a pencil and the two of them sat on the fuzzy rug. They tore out pages of puzzles, and using books as hard surfaces, they started filling out crosswords and word-searches. Adrian didn’t say much, only asking for help once in a while. He didn’t mind, since he was so invested in the puzzles anyway. He was just happy there was another hybrid he could bond with

It looked like everyone here got along, for the most part. There wasn’t any hate in Luca and Mason’s argument; from the sound of it they just argued for kicks. No one was weirded out or uncomfortable with anything. They didn’t even bat an eye when Cas was bottle fed twice in front of them. They played with toys and colored like it was normal. Apparently it was here. 

He was about to ask Adrian to find a word for him when he was stopped by a soft voice. Zeph was standing at the front of the area. 

“Hey Adr-” He stopped when he saw the two of them put fingers to their lips. Zeph gave them a confused look. Adrian gestured in the direction of the other hybrids, whose argument had died down to a normal conversation. Zeph’s eyes widened in realization and he winked as he walked over.

“Sorry about that. I just wanted to check up on you two. You have been quiet, more so than usual,” he said quietly as he crouched down and pet Adrian’s head. Cas’ eyes widened when he started purring. 

“Is something wrong, Cas?”

“Oh, I’ve never heard someone, uh,  _ purr  _ before,” he said as he looked back down at his puzzle. ‘Way to make it awkward’ he thought. 

“There is no need to be embarrassed. It is only your first day, pup. There are plenty of things you have yet to see and learn.” Zeph said as he pulled a different brush from earlier out of his back pocket. “Would you like to start with letting me brush you?”

Cas cocked his head. His hair was already styled, brushing it would only make the twists turn fuzzy. Zeph smiled. 

“Your ears, I meant.”

“Ohh. Uh, yeah, sure.”

Zeph pulled up a beanbag and sat down, pulling Cas into his lap. Adrian scooted so he was leaning on Zeph’s leg while he did his puzzles. He gently took one of his ears and ran the brush over it slowly, as if he was testing how Cas would react. Cas knew instantly that he loved it. He knew now why Luca was making that face earlier; he was probably making the same one. It was like the brush was righting hairs he didn’t even know were wrong. He relaxed and zoned out.

Until he heard excited voices coming his way. Cas watched Luca and Mason trot up to him while Seya walked behind. Ziggy started running once he saw him.

“Ah! Ziggy, we talked about this,” Seya said.

Ziggy stopped and looked back sheepishly. “Sorry. I wanna show him my stuffie!”

“I know, honey. Let’s try walking to him, so we don’t scare him.”

“Okay!” Ziggy made a show of slowly walking forward until he was at Zeph’s feet. 

“What a good boy, Ziggy! I knew you could do it!” Seya praised. Ziggy’s tail was wagging a mile a minute. “Now let’s all show Cas our favorite toys!”

All the hybrids sat in a semi circle around him, and Seya sat behind them. 

“But first, I think two of you have something to say to Cas.”

Mason fiddled with the plastic dinosaur toy in his hand and Luca played with his hair.

“We’re sorry for arguing in front of you, puppy,” Luca said. 

“Yeah, we didn’t mean to scare you off. We just really wanted to show you the cool stuff here!” Mason finished. Cas wasn’t expecting an apology.

“Oh, it’s ok,” he said, playing with his fingers. “I like your dinosaur.” Mason broke out into a huge smile. 

“Thanks! Its name is Cera, ‘cause it's a triceratops! Didja know that they could have up to 800 teeth?” he said excitedly. 

“Really?”

“Yeah! And the things on the back of their heads were called frills!” He rambled on about random dinosaur facts, waving his triceratops around while he spoke. He knew a  _ lot _ about them; he reminded Cas of himself when he found someone to listen to  _ him  _ talk about the ocean. He could go on for hours if you let him. Ziggy was getting impatient, though. He whined loudly. 

“Mason? We  _ love  _ hearing your dinosaur facts, but can you please pick someone else to take a turn?” Seya asked. 

Mason didn’t look upset at all. “Ok! I pick Ziggy!” Ziggy squealed and leaned over to give Mason a high five, who gladly returned it. He then shot up and proudly presented his toy, which was a stuffed giraffe. It had obviously seen better days. It was faded and worn, had stuffing coming out of multiple holes, and was missing a leg. There were stitches all over it, including the leg hole. 

“Her name is Piggy ‘cause I said so and it rhymes with my name and she’s my best buddy!” he beamed. “Well, second to Mason. He’s my  _ best _ buddy!” 

“Her name is really cool,” Cas said. 

“Thanks! She says hi!” Ziggy said before he sat back down and started chewing on her ear. 

“My turn!” Luca announced. He showed off a mermaid doll with hair almost as long as it was. The doll had a purple, sparkly tail with black hair that was neatly combed. “This is Aurora. She’s the princess, so I comb her hair the most and keep her pretty.” He flipped his own hair. “ _ I’m _ the only one fit to take care of her, so don’t get any ideas, ‘kay?”

“Got it,” Cas said. He wasn’t that into dolls anyway. “I like her hair. It's so silky.”

Luca tucked some hair behind his ear. “Oh thank you! The crazy part is, you don’t even need conditioner or anything! Just a little bit of water from time to time!”

“It took forever to find a decent conditioner before I got here.”

“Tell me about it! I stopped shopping at—” Ziggy cut in with a loud groan.

“Blah blah blah! Too much pretty-talk! Is it outside time yet?” he demanded.

Seya frowned. “Ziggy, it’s rude to interrupt. Apologize.”

“Sorry. Can we go outside now?”

“Almost, buddy. Adrian hasn’t even had a turn.” He gestured for Adrian to go.

He fiddled with his pencil. “I don’t have a favorite toy. But I like the bricks,” he said with his ears flat against his head. Zeph reached down and pet his head.

“Your castles are stunning, love,” he said. Adrian blushed and mumbled out a quiet ‘thank you’.

Seya then clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “That was fun, wasn’t it? We all got to show off our favorite toys! Maybe you’ll have one soon, Cas,” he said. “But free time’s over! You know what that means!”

“Outside!” Mason and Ziggy cheered. They abandoned their toys and ran out of the reading area. Zeph put Cas on the floor and stood. He took Adrian and Luca’s hand while Seya picked him up. 

“Now it's time to play outside, sweetie!” he said as he followed Zeph. “We have all kinds of fun things to do out there! Nature here may look a little different than you’re used to, but I’m sure you’ll love it!” 

As Cas was carried to the door, he couldn’t help but cling to Seya’s sweater. He really had no idea what was waiting for him on the other side. Today so far had been a little overwhelming. He was just letting anyone do anything to him, mostly because he had no idea what punishments were here and he did  _ not  _ want to find out. The hybrids didn’t seem scared of the caregivers at all, but he didn’t want to take the risk. He was fine with being carried everywhere anyway. 


	6. Catch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PHEW this was a tough one,, o(╥﹏╥)o sorry its late🥺🥺😭💖

They came to a sliding door that was covered in arts, crafts, and drawings, making it hard to see through. Cas could only see a mix of blues and greens in between the papers. Zeph scanned his badge, opened it and let all the hybrids run outside while he held it open for Seya and Cas. 

“It’s such a beautiful day outside!” Seya said excitedly. Cas was caught off guard with the scenery before him. This place looked like Earth, but with enough off hues to make you look and think twice. The sky was pale blue, with white clouds rolling in waves overhead. They stood in a large, high-fenced yard that had a couple trees and playground equipment, much like a kindergarten play yard. The grass and leaves were more blue than green, like seaweed underwater, and the bark was a rich, dark brown. He wondered how here and Earth could look so similar, but host such different life?

Seya and Zeph sat a table sized for them, with an umbrella overhead and a few human/hybrid sized chairs. They began to chat while Cas sat in Seya’s lap. Luca was stretched out in the grass, basking in the sun. Adrian had managed to climb all the way up the jungle gym already, and was watching everyone from above. Mason was kicking a ball around and chasing after it, while Ziggy was digging in the dirt with his bare hands. Cas was a little jealous that everyone else could run around, and he started to fidget after a little while.

Seya noticed right away. “Looks like someone’s antsy. Here, baby.” He said as he lifted Cas over his shoulder and started patting his back. The pats weren’t doing anything for his mood; what was Seya even doing? He whimpered and they stopped pretty quickly. Seya pulled him back into his lap.

“You don’t need burpies, huh? How about this?” He slipped a pacifier in his mouth and started bouncing his knee. Cas just held it in his mouth and chewed it like earlier. It gave him something to focus on, so he was grateful for the most part. But it only held him over for so long; he wanted to move around and explore!

‘Am I just supposed to sit here the whole time?’ he thought, a little annoyed. The other hybrids had already moved on to other things by now. Ziggy and Mason were playing tug of war with one of those knotted rope dog toys, while Luca sat next to Adrian, licking his ears. He involuntarily whined. 

“Are you bored, sweetheart?” Seya asked. Cas nodded quickly. “Why don’t you sit in the grass for a while?” He carried him and set him down, not too far from the table. The grass was cut short and warm from the sun that looked more blue than yellow. He ran his fingers through it and plucked a couple blades.

Ziggy noticed he was alone and ran over to the caregivers. “Can we play with Cas? Pretty please?”

Seya hummed. “I don’t know, baby. Cas is still getting better from his boo-boos and we wouldn’t want them to get worse, would we?”

“I’ll never get to play with him!” Ziggy whined and stomped his foot.

“No temper tantrums, little mister, or it’ll be corner time for you. How about we put our heads together and find a game we can all play!”

Seya leaned down, and Ziggy instantly brightened and yipped excitedly. He carefully bumped foreheads and they both made exaggerated ‘hmm’ noises. After a few moments, Ziggy jumped up and down. 

“I got an idea! I got one!”

“Let’s hear it!”

“You can help the baby throw the ball so we can play catch!” he beamed. 

Seya high-fived him. “What a great idea! Let’s go see if Cas likes it too!” Seya stood, and Ziggy ran over; he barely stopped a foot from his face.

“Puppy! Do you wanna play with us?” he practically shouted, making Cas wince.

“Ziggy, remember, we need to be gentle with the puppy. Quiet voices, okay?” Seya said, placing a hand on Ziggy’s shoulder.

“Okay! Sorry puppy, didn’t mean to be loud. Do you want to play with us?” Ziggy asked again, quieter this time.

Cas considered his options; if he was just going to sit in Seya’s lap, then it wouldn’t be that bad, right? “M’kay…” he mumbled from behind the paci. Ziggy cheered and ran over to a basket of toys. Seya appeared behind him and scooped him up. He pulled his chair behind him, and set it down a few feet away from where he was just sitting. He put him in his lap and they watched Ziggy finish with the basket and run over to Mason. 

Ziggy ran back to them with a medium sized, fuzzy ball, and the other pup was right behind him. Both of them were beaming, their tails wagging. “Here! This is the best ball!” he said as he held it out. Seya took it and gave it a couple squeezes, making it squeak; it made the hybrids even more excited. 

“Is this what you want? You want the ball? Do you?” he asked, shaking it around. “Go get it!” He threw it pretty far, and they booked it. Mason actually caught the ball mid-air, and passed it to Ziggy, who ran it back to them.

“This is catch, honeybunny.” Seya explained. “I’ll do the first couple throws. Then you can try.” He threw the ball a few more times before he handed it to Cas. 

“Your turn.” Seya said with a big smile. Cas gingerly took the ball; he hoped he could throw it far enough. He reared back and threw it as hard as he could. It definitely didn’t go as far as when Seya threw it, but he was surprised at the distance.

“Wow, good arm, pup!” Seya complimented. The ball was returned, Seya passed it to him, and he threw it again. Catch was actually pretty fun; he liked guessing who would catch it first. Eventually, the ball didn’t come back. Mason and Ziggy were laying on the ground, panting. 

“Uh oh! They’re all tired out!” Seya said dramatically. Luca took the opportunity to walk over and drop a soccer ball on Mason’s head. He pranced away laughing as Mason shot up and opened his mouth, probably to yell at him. He was cut off by a loud, sharp whistle from behind them. 

“Water break, babes! Come here!” Zeph called out. Mason and Ziggy dragged themselves up and the kittens ran over. Would he be getting water too?

Zeph sat down four sippy cups and a bottle of water on the table. The puppies chugged their sippy cups while the kittens took their time. Seya held him in the crook of his arm like usual and pulled the paci out, then brought the bottle to his face. He wasn’t a fan of plain water, but he didn’t make a fuss as he drank. 

Seya spoke up after a bit. “Can anyone tell me why drinking water is good for you?”

“So your pee isn’t dark!” Ziggy said.

“Uh..yes! That’s true, good job! What else?”

“It helps you get rid of the headaches you get from Luca!” Mason said.

Luca scoffed. “You’re one to talk about headaches, mutt!” 

“Mutt!?”

The caregivers groaned, but Cas couldn’t help but giggle. All of them paused. 

“Oh my gosh, I made the baby laugh!” Luca squealed. 

“He was laughing at you, not with you!”

“I’m surprised you heard it with all the hair in your ears!”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Zeph cut in. “Any more and I’ll make you both hold hands for the rest of the afternoon.” The two hybrids made gagging sounds and Ziggy laughed. 

Cas couldn't help but admire the dynamics of this group. Everyone here had such solid, close relationships. It was like they were family. Cas wouldn't lie, but he wanted what they had. He didn’t want to feel like he was an intruder here, or like he was spectating their lives. He turned his head further in Seya’s chest and gave a small whimper. Seya wordlessly cuddled him closer. 

The hybrids started to finish up their sippy cups; Cas didn't even realize he was finished with the bottle until Seya pulled it out. Drinking from _baby bottles_ was starting to become awfully relaxing, and quickly too. His eyebrow furrowed at the thought, but Seya must have confused it for displeasure at the bottle taken away, because he cooed and slipped the paci back in. 

“Clean up time! Go put your toys away!” Seya said. “When you’re done, grab your cup and meet up at the door!” The hybrids put their cups on the table and started for any toys they used. Once everything was in its place, they all grabbed their cups and walked to the door that Zeph was holding open. 

“Now it's potty time! We have to get your hands squeaky clean!” Seya said. Would he get to use the bathroom on his own, or would the caregivers follow him in? As they walked inside, Cas saw the sippy cups abandoned at the table the others ate at. He turned his head and saw everyone lined up at a door in the far corner of the room. He didn’t even notice it, since it was camouflaged in crafts and drawings. Adrian and Mason pushed open the door and walked in; he only saw tile from inside. They came out a little while later and walked over to Zeph, who was standing by a drawer. He changed their socks, and then they sat at the table. Luca walked in next, and Ziggy started to go in, but Seya stopped him.

“Ah ah. You know you’re only allowed in with a caregiver,” he said. 

Ziggy whined. “Come on! It was one time!” 

“Was it?” Ziggy only shuffled his feet in response. Luca eventually came out.

“Our turn, puppies!” Seya said. Ziggy ran in and Seya and Cas followed. He got a good look at the bathroom from the inside. It looked like a public restroom, since it had two stalls and a row of sinks. But it was strikingly clean; way cleaner than any school bathroom he’d ever seen. The walls were painted light gray while the tiles were darker. There were colorful posters all over, probably about hand washing. Seya put him on his feet, and steadied him when he wobbled a bit. 

“Okay, button. Do you want to potty by yourself or do you want my help?” he asked him after he took his paci. Yeah, he’d pass.

“I can do it,” he said quietly.

“Alright! I’ll be right here the whole time, so call me if you need to!” Cas nodded and tried to focus on just _getting_ to the stall. The cast felt like it weighed six tons, so he waddled like a penguin to the empty stall. He finally made it, closed the door and did his business. When he finished and left the stall, Ziggy was already at the sinks, washing his hands. He was singing a song under his breath, and when it ended he grabbed a punch of paper towels from the roll. He used them, balled them up, then dunked them in the trash like a basketball, almost knocking the can over.

“Score!” he cheered. 

“As much as I love games, they’re not for the bathroom, sweetheart,” Seya said gently; Ziggy sagged. “But the bathroom’s no fun anyway! It's lunch, aren’t you hungry?” At the reminder, Ziggy yipped and ran out. By then, Cas was drying his own hands. He tossed the towels away, then paused when Seya held out his hand to take. He really didn’t feel like walking _all_ the way back to the main area. It was so much easier getting carried all the time. 

“U-um, Seya?” he asked, looking up at him.

“Yes, pumpkin?”

“Can you carry me?” He looked back down at his hands.

“Of course, I can little one.” he said as he scooped him up and started for the door. “It must be so hard, trying to move that heavy cast around.” Cas just nodded as he drew his arms to his chest. His tail definitely wagged at how Seya scratched his back. 

As he was carried back into the main room, he once again began to wonder about his new life. Was this what being a hybrid was all about? Was no one mean or nasty? Was he not expected to do anything other than eat, sleep and play? There had to be a catch. What did it really mean to be a hybrid?


	7. Bubbles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall,,,😭😭 pls dont kill me i know its been over a month (っ◞‸◟c) Ive just been extra tired lately 😔 But!! Ive been chipping away at this daily and im so happy i can get this out!!! (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑ 💝💝💝💝

Seya carried him back into the main area of the playroom, where the other hybrids were waiting for their own lunch. They sat at the round eating table, chatting and laughing. Zeph was at the door, taking platters wrapped in foil from an alien dressed in scrubs. He didn’t see their face; all he saw were deer legs, then Zeph thanked them and closed the door. Seya set him down in the chair he fed him in.

“I’m going to grab your bottle, buttercup,” he said, bending down to his level. “Sit here and wait for me, okay?” Cas internally groaned at the idea of more sitting around, but nodded anyway. This chair was too big for him to just hop out of anyway. He swung his legs and watched Seya slip out the room, while Zeph dished out the food. The hybrids were served chicken tenders and potato wedges, and Cas’ mouth watered. He made a mental note to ask Seya why he only got milk for every meal. It wasn’t that he minded it, but the food the others were eating smelled so damn good.

Speaking of which, Seya came back with refilled sippy cups and his bottle. After he gave them to their owners, he walked back over.

“Cassie, I got your lunch!” Seya sing-songed as he picked Cas, up getting him

comfortable in his arms as he sat down. Even though he craved solid food, the milk was good too. He was about halfway done with it before he started relaxing even further, his eyes drooping. He was practically melting into Seya. He wasn’t tired before; did they  _ drug  _ him? He didn’t think he’d done anything to warrant it, but if they turned him into a dog, drugging him was nothing.

He quietly whined in confusion, and Seya shushed him like he was an actual toddler.

“It’s alright Cassie you're safe, shhh shhh. You’re a good boy, such a good boy.” Seya cooed gently as he lightly rocked Cas in his arms. Cas barely had the energy to fight it as his world slipped away, his senses going as he watched Seya fade with his closing eyes, the sound of happy munching from the other hybrids, and the warm tone of Zeph as he leaned over Seya’s shoulder.

“Poor little tike, it's been a big day for him.” Then the world turned black.

* * *

Cas groaned as he came to. Blinking his eyes that refused to open, Cas found himself on a firm surface, a warm glowing light just to his left. Feeling a pressure lifted from his abdomen, Cas rubbed at his sleep fogged eyes. He spotted Seya, who had just finished folding something just out of his vision. Seya turned at hearing Cas’ sleepy grumble giving a warm smile, he walked over and leaned over Cas’ prone form.

“Well good afternoon, sleepyhead!” he said. “Did you have a nice nap?”

So that’s why they spiked his bottle. Cas whined, still feeling drowsy. Not willing to give Seya the satisfaction of an answer, he turned his head away and began to study his surroundings. The room they were in was small, a little smaller than the room he woke up in yesterday. It looked like he was in a nursery, with a couple of cribs that had mobiles, bookshelves, and the soft light of a lamp. The walls were baby blue with patterned clouds, and white simple furniture around. It took him embarrassingly long to realize that he had a paci in his mouth again. Did he always have to have one?

“Someone’s a grumpy puppy. I’m sure you’ll wake up when you see what fun things we  have planned,” Seya said, scooping him up and supporting his head since he was still too weak to hold himself up. They left the room and went back to the playroom; the walk wasn’t too long, but it helped clear his head and get a good amount of energy back.

“Welcome back, Cas. I hope you slept well,” Zeph greeted as they walked in. He and the hybrids were sitting at a table, waving. It was nice to know they were waiting for him. The table was by shelves of art supplies, and sitting on top of them was a corkboard, proudly displaying all kinds of crafts. 

Seya sat down, and with Cas in his lap, opened a container on the table. He emptied it, covering the table in colorful little plastic shapes.

“Okay, babes. Today’s theme is ‘space’,” he said. “Make anything you can think of with these, and in a little bit we can all show off our own! Okay?” The hybrids scrambled for the pieces, apparently with ideas of what they wanted to make right off the bat. Cas was a little lost; he was never a big fan of space. His first idea was a planet, but someone was probably already making one. Same thing for a star, comet and moon. He could just suck it up and make one of those, but what if he was accused of copying?

He was probably overthinking it.

“Are you okay, Cas? Do you need any help?” Seya asked. Cas shook his head no, a lie. “Okay, just remember I’m right here if you need me.”

Cas glanced around; everyone already had something to work with. Even the caregivers were participating. He racked his brain for anything he could make; then it hit him. A black hole! It was perfect. 

Now that he had an idea, he excitedly reached for some dark triangle pieces. Enough triangles made a circle. Once it was big enough, almost the size of his hand, he grabbed some white shapes and made a ring around it for its aura. He put the finishing touches on it when Seya clapped his hands.

“Is everyone finished?” After getting everyone’s confirmation, he continued. “Perfect! We’ll go in a circle. Adrian, you’re up first!”

Adrian looked down. “It’s a planet,” he said quietly, like he was ashamed. It honestly  looked great; it had a pretty gradient in the middle and a ring around it. Everyone complimented him for it, making him cover his face.

“How beautiful! You’re so talented, Adrian!” Zeph praised. All eyes then turned to Mason, who proudly presented brown circles of all different sizes. 

“They’re asteroids! Not meteorites, cause those’re asteroids that hit the ground,” he said.

“What a smart puppy I have!” Seya said ruffling behind Mason’s ears. Next up was Ziggy. No matter how he looked at it, Cas couldn’t for the life of him figure out what he made. And based on the thinly veiled confusion on everyone else’s faces, they were just as lost as he was. He had laid out bright red and green pieces in random shapes.

“Oh wow, baby! It’s amazing!” his caregiver said.

“No! My aliens’ a she!” Ziggy corrected. Everyone said ‘oh’ under their breath. “Yeah! She can breathe in space and has rockets and a huuuge blaster!”

“Cool! Make her blow up my asteroids!” Mason said. Luca cleared his throat loudly, obviously irritated; his ears were flat against his head and he was pouting. 

“ _ My _ turn,” he said. “I made stars since they’re my favorite thing ever. And they’re on the spinny thing above my bed. I like the way they shine!”

“You shine brighter than any star, kitten,” Zeph said. Luca twirled his hair and giggled. Cas was a little excited for his turn; he wanted to know what they thought of his collage. 

“Now you, Cas!” Seya said. He didn’t really have much to say about it, so he just gestured to it. “Is it a black hole?” When he nodded, he got a quick pat on the head. 

“How creative! You did a great job!” he praised, and Cas felt something warm blossom in his chest. 

“Can your alien fly outta  _ that _ ?” Mason asked as he turned to Ziggy. 

“Maybe?” he said. They looked to Seya for answers.

“I don’t think so, pup. Once you get too close, the black hole eats you up!”

They gasped. “We have to save everything from getting eaten!” Mason cried. 

“My alien’ll shoot it and blow it up!” Ziggy used two bright red rectangles as laser beams and ‘fired’ them his way. 

“Remember, you have to ask before you play with someone else’s things,” Seya reminded them.

“Can we play Alien vs Black Hole?” Mason asked him. He nodded; he wanted to see where this went. He and Ziggy used all their firepower to try and get rid of the ‘planet eating monster’ he’d created. Seya picked up orange circles and made an outline around the black hole. 

“Uh oh! You fed it! Now it’s bigger, and it’s going after Luca’s stars!” he said dramatically. Luca gasped and used his arms to shield them. 

“Don’t let it touch them!” he cried.

“How do we get rid of it?” Mason asked desperately.

“It’s awfully complicated, but if you wait long enough, they go away on their own,” Zeph said. 

“Maybe if we ask it, it’ll go away quicker,” Luca said. 

“Pleeeease?” they all asked in unison. Cas acted like he was considering for a second,  then nodded and swept his pieces away.

“Yay! We saved the universe!” Ziggy said; everyone cheered (Cas and Adrian clapped), happy that everything as they knew it wouldn’t be destroyed. Cas had fun watching the whole thing go down, and hoped they’d do it again soon.

* * *

Over the course of the day, Cas worked out that this place was like a preschool, except you didn’t leave at the end of the day. After the shape game, it was snack time, and he had never been so happy to see a bowl of grapes. They were so sweet and juicy he was  _ almost  _ willing to let the spiked bottle slide. After that they did ‘squiggle art’; everyone got a paper and drew a squiggle on it, then passed it to the next person, who had to make a picture out of it. He got Mason’s, and he did  _ not  _ make it easy for him, but he made some kind of flower out of it. He got to decorate it however he wanted, and he used almost an entire sticker sheet. He figured he could let loose just once.

Now it was free time again. Once again, he was left to his own devices. Cas stood by the activity table, trying to figure out what to do, when Luca snuck up on him. He hugged him from behind and rested his chin on his head, making him jump a little. 

“Hi, puppy,” he purred. “You still owe me that scenting from earlier.”

‘Oh God, I forgot all about that…’ Cas thought.

“Um- what’s ‘scenting’?” he asked nervously.

“It’s easier if I just show you. Zeph!” he called. “Can you carry us to the book corner pleeease?” Luca separated himself from him as Zeph walked over and picked them up.

“I know why Cas has to be carried, but you can walk perfectly fine. You’re my spoiled little kitten, aren’t you?” Zeph teased. Luca purred and nuzzled against him. 

“But if you’re going to scent Cas, please be gentle.”

“Got it,” Luca said as he was set down on the carpet. They pushed some stuffed animals off a big, fuzzy bean bag, and Cas was laid on his side. Luca immediately climbed next to him and cuddled him. Cas’ face heated from how close they were, and he squirmed a little. Luca just wrapped a leg around him, effectively trapping him.

Then he felt a wet warmth on his ear. Luca was  _ licking him _ , grooming him like he was an actual cat. His tongue was rough, and on the list of weird things to happen to him here, this was definitely up there. He immediately tried to wiggle away, but Luca kept him in an iron hold.After a little while he stopped and moved lower, to the crook of his neck. Cas was debating on asking if he could leave when he felt something wash over him. He couldn’t describe it, it just felt like warmth and  _ Luca _ . The fuzzy feeling spread everywhere until he was engulfed in it. He could feel Luca purring against him.

They laid like that for some time, Luca switching between each of his ears and his neck. Cas only realized his eyes were closed when he opened them because someone was gently shaking him. He blinked up at Zeph, who was crouched down at his level.

“It looks like someone enjoyed their time with Luca,” he said softly. “I hate to interrupt, but it’s time for dinner.” Luca unwrapped his arms, stood and stretched, while Cas only moved his arm a little and whined. He didn’t feel like moving, he was too comfortable. Zeph just chuckled and lifted him into his arms, and carried him back to the main area. Seya was waiting for him, bottle in hand.

“Hi, puppy-dog. I hope you’re hungry.” Seya said, waving. Zeph transferred Cas into  Seya’s arms. When he brought the bottle to his face, Cas was too relaxed to worry if it had anything besides milk inside. He just drank like it was second nature. After he finished, he curled up in Seya’s arms, ready to sleep. 

“Aw, don’t go to sleep just yet, baby. We still have to get you in the tub, and then there’s story time.” Seya said. 

‘Wait…’tub’ as in ‘bathtub’?’ he thought as his eyes snapped open. Cas knew he’d have  to get in the bath eventually, but he was hoping it wouldn’t be this soon. He had a shred of hope that he’d be allowed some privacy. 

Seya carried him around while he straightened up, and everyone else chipped in. He felt guilty not doing any chores.

“...Do you need any help?” Cas asked; he couldn’t really walk, but he’d try his best. 

“Oh, no thank you sweety. You’re so thoughtful.” Seya said. Cas didn’t think he was  being nice just by asking to help; it was expected of him back home. After they finished, everyone’s harness was put on, and they walked into the hallway. They stopped at a door decorated with moons and stars, and Seya passed the other pup’s harnesses over to Zeph.

“Now we can give you a nice, warm bath!” Seya said as he carried him away. Cas  clutched Seya’s sweater in panic. He could handle being held all day, but really didn’t want to get bathed. Seya opened the door to what looked like the back of a vet’s office, with exam tables and equipment everywhere. It only spooked him more. In the back were a couple of metal tubs; Seya set him down on the counter of one and grabbed an apron from a nearby rack. He turned to him and took off his harness.

“Alright, pup, arms up!” he said. Cas paused. He didn’t know if it was worth it to argue with a caregiver, but he wasn’t ready for this (he doubted he’d ever be). He wrapped his arms around himself to keep his shirt on, looked down, and shook his head.

“It’s got to come off, baby boy,” Seya said. He reached forward, and Cas jerked away from him. 

“N-no,” he forced out as he scooted back. 

Seya slowly reached for him. “I’m not going to hurt you, Cas. I just want to take care of you.”

Cas’ breathing picked up. He knew he agreed to all this, but it was too much. He squeezed his eyes shut. Next thing he knew, he was being pulled into a tight hug. Not suffocating, but just tight enough that he felt safe; it was grounding.

Seya let him hold on and rest his head on his chest for as long as he needed. He felt weirdly vulnerable when he pulled back. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. This is all new and scary, isn’t it?” Seya said. Cas nodded. 

“It's okay to be scared.” Seya gently pried Cas’ hands from his sweater and held them, rubbing soothing circles with his thumbs. “But bathtime doesn’t have to be scary. It can be fun!”

Cas cocked his head. “How?”

“We have special toys that really come to life in the water!” 

He still wasn’t sold. “Can I see them?”

“Only if you let me get you in the tub.”

Cas sighed; he knew he’d have to get in either way, but if these toys were as cool as Seya said they were, then at least he’d have a distraction. Besides, he was tired, and he wasn’t going anywhere until he was bathed. The sooner they started, the sooner it’d be over with. 

“Okay,” he whispered. He was rewarded with chin scratches he may or may not have leaned into.

“There we go! Now, let's get this show on the road,” Seya said. “Raise your arms niiice and high.” 

Even with the words of encouragement, Cas still cringed every time a piece of clothing was taken off (and his dignity went with them). He reluctantly took off his pendant and set it on the counter next to him. Once it was all off, Seya grabbed two plastic tube things, and slid them over both his casts. He figured they were waterproof covers, since the ends were elastic and sealed the sleeves shut. 

He then reached to the side and lifted a smaller, plastic tub into the metal one. Was he really so small that he needed a  _ baby bath _ ? Seya turned on the water, poured some soap in, adjusted the temperature a bit and clapped his hands. 

“In you go, pup,” he said as he lifted him into the bath. The water was perfectly warm, and the bubbles gave him a little bit of privacy, even if the water only went to his stomach. The bath seat had padding, and if he wanted to he could lay back. And apparently he  _ was _ that small; the walls of the metal tub seemed so high from inside.

“And as promised, you get to play with the bath toys, since you’re such a good boy.” He picked up a container, scooped a handful of something out and put them in the bath. They were little cartoony fish, each about the size of a ping pong ball. As they bobbed around, his eyes widened when they started to change colors. He was too busy ogling to notice his caregiver preparing a rag.

“Close your eyes, baby,” Seya said. Even when Cas was expecting it, he still jumped when it touched his face. Seya hushed him and started gently washing, kindly avoiding his eyes. He hummed a song he didn’t recognize, filling the silence. Seya moved on to his back, then his chest, and so on. Cas grimaced when he moved lower, trying to focus on the fish toys. He discovered that once they came out the water, they returned to their original color, and that they squeaked if you squeezed them. 

After what felt like an eternity later, Seya used a towel and pulled him out. 

“There, all done!” he said. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” It wasn’t something he was looking forward to doing again, but it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. He felt fresher and warm. 

Seya set him on the counter, and after draining the water, started drying him off. When he moved to put the toys away, Cas used the opportunity to shake. The urge had been bothering him ever since his ears were washed, he just didn’t want to soak his caregiver. 

Seya finished drying him and carried him out before he started shivering. 

“Now, let’s get you in some nice, cozy pajamas.”

* * *

While it probably took ten minutes, it felt like ages until they left the nursery. Seya had dressed him in a blue-striped footed onesie. But since bathing him wasn’t enough, he had to wear a damn pull-up. His face was buried in Seya’s shoulder, low whines tumbling from his throat. He rubbed his back.

“Aw, it’s just some extra protection for the night, baby. We want you to sleep without worrying about accidents,” he said. “You won’t even remember it’s there.”

‘Why would I need to worry about having an accident…?’ Cas thought, concerned. He prayed that they wouldn’t do anything to affect his bladder. As much as he already liked his caregiver, he’d fight him if he tried to  _ change  _ him.

“Now it’s finally story time!” Seya said as he opened the door to the other hybrids’ room. This one had a forest theme, with trees and flowers painted on the walls, and moons and stars on the ceiling. The others were snuggled up to a blanket or stuffie, in cribs of their own. Zeph sat in a rocking chair at the front of the room, where everyone could see him. Seya pulled up a chair, and Zeph cracked open the book. He started to read, and Cas knew right away that he was an experienced storyteller. He waved his free hand around, gave the characters cool voices, and let everyone see the pictures before turning the page. He seemed to know this story by heart.

The story was about a kid named Riley, who lived with jerks for parents that made him sleep in the basement and yelled at him all the time.

“Then, one stormy night, Riley was about to fall asleep, when his parents came crashing down the stairs!” Zeph narrated “They called Riley all kinds of mean things. They threw his stuff all around. They even ripped up his only blankie.” Everyone let out worried gasps.

“So, Riley ran. He escaped to the forest, where the wind howled in the trees. Glowing eyes peered from the bushes. He was soaked to the bone, and his tummy growled. Riley had never felt so alone and scared. It was a miracle he found somewhere to sleep. He crawled in a big log. It was wet, dark and cold. But he curled up in a little ball and fell asleep. When he woke up, Riley found himself in a whole new world. The people there were nothing like he had ever seen. Some had fur, some had horns. Some had sharp teeth and long nails! Not to mention they were super tall!”

“Like you and Seya!” Mason said.

“That’s right, pup. Riley was scared at first. Everyone feels scared sometimes. But soon, Riley realized that there was nothing to be afraid of. The people there were very nice, his tummy was always full, and he had all the toys he could dream of! He also made some new friends, who he got to play with every day. Riley never had to think about his old life again. He was very happy in his new home with his new family and lived happily ever after. The end.”

By the time Zeph closed the book, Cas was struggling to keep his eyes open. It was a cute story, even though it sounded like it was meant for kindergartners. He couldn’t help but notice how similar Riley’s story was to his, though. Asshole parents, passed out in the rain, woke up in a ‘whole new world’. They were almost identical. He wondered if the other hybrids ended up here from running away, or if they were happy where they were.

Cas zoned out a little, but woke back up when he felt someone moving him around. He cracked his eyes open and realized they were now in his room. Seya was wrapping him in  something warm and soft, making it so he really couldn’t move his arms. Next thing Cas knew he had a paci popped into his mouth and Seya was rocking him.

It was nice Seya didn’t want him to be alone in here. However, Cas still couldn’t figure out this place. They took people, turned them into hybrids, treated them like toddlers…and for what? What was the end game? What was his purpose here? Maybe he’d piece it together tomorrow, but for now it was easier to just drift. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 💝💝


	8. Searching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see i told you the next chap wouldnt take too long (ˊ•͈ ◡ •͈ˋ)｡*♡*. ive been excited for this chap for a while!!! o(≧∇≦o)💖💖💖

Sage ran his hands down his face, trying to fight off sleep. All he wanted was to curl up and pass out, but apparently that was asking for too much. Instead, he walked slowly along the street, looking for someplace to sleep. Usually he’d be in the building he was squatting in, but the owner paid some jackasses to kick him out. He didn’t go without a fight, and he had the split lip to prove it. It was a shame too, his little camp there was actually getting comfortable. But the adrenaline had worn off, and now he felt dead on his feet. 

It's been so long since he slept in a real bed… but he wasn’t sure if he’d even go home if he had one. He was dealt some of the worst cards a kid could get. His parents beat the shit out of him every chance they got, and when the state finally decided to do something about it, they just planted him in a foster home. He was in and out of them, each one somehow worse than the last. Finally, a couple years ago, he decided to run. And here he was. 

Bitter, cold and alone. It wasn’t much different than before, but at least he didn’t have someone screaming in his face 24/7. 

Sage rubbed his hands along his arms, trying to get feeling back in them. He could see his breath as he walked; it got frigid in Detroit. His coat was thin as paper, and with his dark jeans and converses whose soles were practically falling off, he was hardly getting protection from the cold. His hair was brown and highlighted, and so grown out he was brushing it out of the way so he could see. Everyone he talked to felt the need to point out his eyes, which were ‘baby blue’ or whatever. They also couldn’t resist bringing up how pale he was. 

His eyes flicked around, looking out for either an empty building or anyone who seemed shady. Here, you had to sleep with one eye open and a knife under your pillow. He was normally able to run from or even fight anyone who pressed him, but lately food had been hard to come by. His gut felt like it was eating itself from the inside out, but he learned that shelter came first. Hunger and exhaustion, coupled with practically freezing to death and a whole lot of resentment made pressing any further an uphill battle. Sage stumbled and leaned on to the chain link fence next to him, his breathing picking up.

‘C’mon… pull yourself together. You’ve been through worse…’ he thought. He couldn’t pass out here, in the open. Anything could happen to him. He gripped the fence so hard his knuckles turned white, trying to ground himself. 

After the wave passed, he pushed himself upright and continued his search. It wasn’t the first, and certainly wouldn't be the last.

♡

Sage knew he was nearing the end of his rope. He’d been walking for so long… and still nothing. The benches, alleys, steps and anywhere you could think of were all occupied. He wandered so far that he didn’t recognize any of the streets anymore; he was lost. 

He leaned against a cold brick wall and sunk to the sidewalk, defeated. 

‘What the hell am I supposed to do now…’ he thought, drawing his coat closer. He looked up and glanced around for anything that could help him get through tonight. He was in some back-road alley; the nearest street lamp flickered randomly, and the air was eerily still, since the wind couldn’t reach back here. The only things he saw were garbage cans, locked doors and snuffed out cigarettes. And something moving?

Once it got closer, Sage realized it was a person. A kid no older than ten stumbled on to the street. They walked like they were completely out of it, almost like a zombie. It was unsettling, but not surprising. He felt bad, but it wasn’t like he could do anything to help. He couldn’t even take care of himself.

He watched the kid shuffle around while he tried to warm himself up. They were going off and on the sidewalk, tripping on the cracks. Eventually they just stayed on the road. Sage was about to pick himself back up when he heard the squeal of tires on asphalt. He whipped his head in its direction, and saw a car flying their way. It was swerving; the driver was obviously wasted. His first instinct was to find a smaller alley to duck into, but then he remembered; the kid! They were still going, but now in the middle of the goddamn road, asking to get hit.

“Hey! Kid! There’s a car!” he called. No response. “You’re gonna get hit!” Still nothing. Was this kid deaf or something? The car was getting closer.

He shot to his feet. “Look out, dude!” He realized yelling wouldn’t solve anything. There was only one way the kid would get out of this alive. He bolted into the street, adrenaline boosting him forward. Sage yelled again, and since he was a little closer, he actually got their attention. They looked around, like they had no clue who was talking.

“Get out of the way!” he said, pronouncing each word clearly. Apparently, it wasn’t clear enough; they stopped dead in their tracks. The car was close.

He was a couple yards away now. At this distance, he was asking to get hit too. But he couldn’t just let the kid die here, where it would take days for anyone to even notice. They had a whole life ahead of them, while he wasn’t going anywhere. He could move from alley to alley, but he would be stuck in this city for the rest of his life. However long that would be.

Finally, they were within reach. “Move!” He shoved the kid as hard as he could. They staggered far, all the way to the sidewalk, until they fell and didn’t move. At least they were safe. Sage looked up, and was blinded by headlights.

* * *

If Seya thought he was worried before, he was gravely mistaken.

It hadn’t even that long since Cas joined his playroom, but here he was, already getting another human. He was the first person the rescuers called; he had seniority among the caregivers, and so first pick over new humans arriving. But he was also one of the only ones available at this hour.

He couldn’t keep himself from once again pacing in the waiting room. He knew it did no one any good to worry, but he just couldn’t help it. The poor baby had been hit by a car, dragged to the side of the road and abandoned. Who knew how bad his injuries could be? What if he couldn’t be saved?

“Seya, your tie is snapping,” Pavel said, not even looking up from her desktop. In the dimmed light, her yellow eyes looked even brighter. Even during the day, she still almost looked like a silhouette; she was a black cat in every sense of the word. Seya’s hand flew to his head, where he could feel his snakes straining against his hair tie. He tried smoothing them down, but they wouldn’t calm until he did. 

“The little one will live,” she said. “Take a deep breath.”

“I know, I know…” he mumbled. “But what if he doesn’t? I mean, you should have heard the call! And not to mention, they picked up another baby, who was almost completely unresponsive!” His hair tie couldn’t handle the pressure, and suddenly snapped, startling both him and his snakes. They writhed and hissed in irritation.

“Here.” Pav tossed a rubber band from her desk; he caught it and tried to get all of them in a handful, but they were too wild.

“Why don’t we talk about something else?” Galan piped up. She was sitting by the lobby window, constantly peeking out. Her mint green skin became almost ivory in the moonlight, and was heavily freckled for a tree sprite. Her hair was jade and cut short. Galan was a close friend of his, and one of the best vet techs he knew. She agreed to help with the new humans in a heartbeat. “How’s your new pup settling in?”

Seya instantly brightened. “Oh, Cas? He’s such a sweetheart,” he gushed. “He gets a little fussy around nap and bath time, but other than that he’s good as gold. I think I’ll start training him soon.” 

All humans here were trained; how far the training would go was up to the caregiver, but they had to be taught six basic tricks: sit, stay, come, heel, speak and roll over. Training helped guide humans (especially new or young ones) into the right mindset, teach important commands, and build obedience. As a plus, they got a nice treat if they behaved.

He managed to grab his snakes and put them in a ponytail; hopefully it would hold until the end of the night.

“You have to meet him,” he said. “Actually, he’ll be due for his shots soon. I’ll let you  know when.” 

“Aw, why do I have to be the bad guy?” she asked with a fake pout. 

“As soon as he sees your scrubs, he’ll know it’s a checkup.”

“Then I’ll just have to win him over with my remarkable charm.”

“If by charm, you mean treats, then I’m sure he’ll come around.” They laughed until Pav cleared her throat. They both looked at each other, then out the door, and saw two figures running forward. 

“They’re here!” Galan said as she shot to her feet. 

“I’ll take the one that was hit, you take the younger one,” Seya directed. Galan nodded, and went to stand in the doorway to keep it open. The rescuers rushed in, cages in hand; they even still had all their gear on. 

“We got ‘em!” Misha cheered as he and his twin passed the humans over. “They’re little fighters, that’s for sure.” 

“Nice work, you two,” Seya said. He opened the crate and peered in at the little one. Straight away he noticed how skinny he was, and a few bruises on his face. “How bad are the injuries?” 

Ashim spoke up. “The one you’re holding got the worst of it. We didn’t get a good look at him, but from what we could tell, he’s got both legs broken and bad bruising on the stomach. Along with weight issues and early signs of frostbite,” he said. “We think the car only clipped him. If he was hit straight on, he might not have survived.”

“The other one is severely underweight, and probably has hypothermia,” Misha said. 

“Alright, let’s take them back right away,” Galan said. She turned and started walking.

“Right behind you,” he called. “I doubt you’ll find much, but still, see what you can dig up about these two. Don’t worry about the files now though, it's late.” He started backing away, eager to get the human the care he needed. “You both are the best, have a good night, bye!”

“You know the drill. Let’s get their vitals first, then run some x-rays,” he said, catching up to Galan. She nodded, and once they both reached the back, they laid the little ones on tables they prepared earlier. They washed their hands, put on gloves, and got to work. 

♡

Even though his baby was in dire condition, Seya thanked the gods that he wasn’t any worse. 

Both legs and two ribs were fractured. His stomach, bladder and intestines were badly bruised, and he had a concussion. To top it off, the poor thing was malnourished. 

Seya put his legs in casts, disinfected and bandaged all his cuts and scrapes. The little one was dehydrated and needed an IV; he gave him some painkillers so he could sleep peacefully, since he was sedated, along with some “special medicine”. It would keep him off his feet when he was ready to come into the playroom. The baby would have to rest and keep still to heal, especially with his ribs. Not that he would be walking around anyway; he would be  _ very _ closely monitored.

Seya covered the baby’s casts, and slowly lowered him into a baby bath. He made sure to be as gentle as he could, and pressed a kiss to his head when he was done. He lotioned and diapered him, and prepared a pen. 

The little one struggled with the chip for almost fifteen minutes until he finally gave in. Seya made sure to rock and encourage him the whole time, holding him still so he didn’t upset any of his injuries. Misha was right; he had a tough little puppy on his hands. 

Once he went limp, Seya dressed the babe in a bone patterned onesie, very loosely swaddled him, and finished it off with a pacifier. Just as he entered the kennel, he saw Galan putting her own human in a cage.

“Hey Gal,” he greeted, tired but happy. 

“Oh hey,” she said right before she yawned. “How’s yours?”   


“He’ll be just fine. I wonder what breed he’ll be.”

“Maybe a Labrador?”

“Maybe, I can see him having little floppy ears.” Seya lifted him into a kennel (with extra pillows and blankets) and laid him down. He made sure to talk and such quietly, as to not disturb the other recovering humans in the room. These kennels were a bit bigger than the normal ones, and right next to the clinic, so vet techs could monitor them regularly. After closing and locking the cage door, he started filling out the clipboard that would be attached to it. “What about yours?”

“I only needed to give him some fluids and warm him up a bit,” she said. “I’m surprised he didn’t lose any toes.” Seya peeked in, and really only saw a mop of black hair under a mountain of blankets. He was small enough to be around eight or nine.

“What kind of chip did you use?”

“Bunny, obviously,” she replied. “If no CG’s here will take him, I’ll just have him transferred. But I’m going to have to start the files tomorrow, right now I'm exhausted.” Galan stretched and popped her back.

“I’m so glad I have tomorrow off,” he said, teasing. She swatted his arm.

Seya finished the form and hung the clipboard. Until he decided the baby was healing properly, he’d stay here, where he could be monitored, fed and changed (though he’d be barely conscious the whole time). It wouldn’t be more than a week until his new puppy would be joining the playroom.


	9. Fresh Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (*ﾟ∇ﾟ*) surprise!! 💕💕

The soft twinkle of a lullaby gently pulled Sage from sleep; he could feel his body swaying gently for a moment before being set down again. A large part of him wanted to just bask in it, since sleep this good never lasted long, but he felt something was off. He was too comfortable. Too warm, and it was too quiet. Where were the loud sounds of traffic? Car horns? Trains? Sirens? Where were the smells of garbage, car exhaust, and the other darkness that came from the streets?

Sage groaned as he shook his head, trying to sort his thoughts. It took a frustrating amount of effort to even crack his eyes open. The low light made it a little hard to see, but eventually he focused his eyes enough to get a fix for his surroundings. To his right, he saw shelves full of toys, blue walls and a small stack of clothes. He was laying on something hard and white, but he could tell there was something slipped under him as padding. Wherever he was, there was enough cutesy bullshit for his slowly growing fear to build into full-on panic.

‘Is this a fucking nursery…? How did I even get in here?’ he thought, right before he caught movement right in front of him. Sage warily dragged his eyes up to the face of something straight out of a mythology book. A pink, snake-haired monster  _ thing  _ was staring right back at him, smiling like he just won the lottery. He was  _ huge _ , and his piercing eyes seemed to glow in the dim room.

“Good morning muffin,” he said, his voice dripping honey. “How did you sleep?”

Sage went rigid, refusing to believe that what was happening was real. This had to be some kind of hunger-induced nightmare, and he’d wake up next to a dumpster and try to forget any of this ever happened. But when the monster tilted his head to the side, and his snakes moved with him, Sage knew this was very real. ‘Oh god…it’s not a dream…it's real…this…him…everything.’

“Don’t worry, buttercup, we’re almost finished here.” Sage heard a  _ snap  _ and looked  down to his waist, where the monster was buttoning a grey and white onesie onto him. Both of his legs were in casts. And to think his eyes couldn’t get any wider.

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?” Sage yelled, horrified as he tried to force his body to move. Sage tried to sit up and jump off of whatever he was laying on, and make a run for it. But it felt like his blood was pumped full of lead; he could barely even manage a few weak wiggles. His legs were broken, but that didn’t explain the total lack of movement. Did they paralyze him?

“Shh…shh…shhh. Easy pup, easy. You're safe now. You were caught in an accident. Remember?” The snake-haired guy was quick to pick him up, holding him close to his chest as he rubbed Sage’s back. Sage tried to breathe as the memories came flooding back. The kid, the car, the pain of the drunk dragging him away like the trash everyone treated him as. After that there was only darkness. Sensing Sage’s calming down Seya gave a warm smile, “Let's grab your blankie really quick,” he said in that high-pitched voice. “I don’t want my baby to be cold.”

A whimper of terror slipped out, and of course the monster heard it. “Hey hey, it’s okay,” he said, large hands quickly wrapping Sage in a fuzzy blanket. It was only then that Sage noticed how high up he was, he had to be at least ten feet off the ground. Sage cried out at being up so high; he could barely even get his fingers to work enough to cling to the monsters’ sweater. “Shh, I’ve got you. I would never drop my baby.”

Sage finally gathered enough courage to speak. “Pu- put me down,” he whispered.

“Hm?”

“I said put me down!” The monster blinked at him, then smiled. 

“But how else would my itty-bitty baby get around?”

“I don’t care, just let me go you freak!” Sage growled, mustering up as much energy as he could to push against the monster’s chest.

“My name’s Seya, and I’m your caregiver. I’m here to take care of you,” the monster, Seya, said. “You don’t have to be afraid of me.”

Sage was actually terrified of him; Seya probably paralyzed him with his snake venom. If this was being taken care of, he would rather be on the streets. He would take his freedom over comfort any day. Sage willed his legs to work so he could kick his way out.

“Get your fucking hands off me!” he snapped.

“No!” Seya said, surprising Sage by lightly tapping him on his nose. “That’s a very bad word. We don’t say bad words here. Okay?”

Sage glared. Where even  _ was  _ here? “Fuck you! I’m nineteen years old, not five. I’ll talk however the hell I want!”

“That’s two strikes, and you haven’t even told me your name yet,” Seya said, sounding disappointed. “I don’t want to get the paci, but I will if I have to.”

The ‘paci’? Sage had an idea on what it was, but he didn’t want it confirmed. He settled on muttering and turning his head away. 

“I think someone’s just cranky because he’s hungry.” Seya started rubbing his back. “Why don’t we get something yummy in your tummy?” At the mention of food, Sage’s stomach rumbled, but he doubted he’d enjoy whatever baby food they had for him.

“I’m not hungry.” Sage grumbled, annoyed at Seya’s calm cheery attitude.

“But I can hear your tummy growling from here, angel,” Seya said, carrying him to the door. He had to swipe a name tag to unlock it.

“Great. I have to steal the key from around the monster’s neck to escape,” he thought sourly. As soon as he could use his legs, he would make a break for it. For now, his escape plan was in progress. He’d have to figure out everything he could about these lunatics if he wanted to get away in one piece.

His kidnapper carried him down a maze of hallways, each more colorful than the last. They passed other monsters, some in lab coats and some in scrubs. Was this some kind of twisted hospital? Where did all of these giants even come from? And what the hell did they want with him? Questions flooded his head, making dread replace his panic.

“After you eat, you can meet all your new friends! They’re very excited to meet you,” Seya beamed. Sage internally groaned. Great, more to deal with. It wasn’t just him, but possibly others now too. They finally stopped at some door smothered in art. Seya unlocked it, and Sage suddenly wanted to go back to the other room.

This room was huge compared to the other one. There were more toys than he’d ever seen in one place before, the walls were covered in crafts and posters, and there was barely any floor showing, most of it being covered in vibrant rugs. It looked like heaven to a four-year-old. And hell, to him.

“Welcome home, baby!”

Sage felt a wave of nausea roll over him.

“Seya!”

“Look! The new baby’s here!”

Sage’s head snapped in the direction of the new voices. He saw kids, at least four, running out from behind a set of bookshelves. They stopped at Seya’s feet, bouncing excitedly. The last one was carried out, by some kind of three-eyed colossus; he had a cast or brace around one of his legs. They all seemed to be around his age, some younger and some maybe a little older. All of them were wearing kiddie clothes. And they had…cat and dog ears? Were they playing dress up or something? Were they kidnapped too?

“Show us the puppy!” one with blond hair demanded.

“Okay, okay!” Seya said, kneeling. “But be gentle, he’s even younger than Cas.”

‘Younger my foot.’ Sage instinctively leaned back into Seya’s shoulder, but peeked out to make sure no one tried anything. The kids were staring at him, both in adoration and fascination.

“Whoa, look at his pointy wolf ears!” the tallest one said.

“His eyes are soooo pretty!” Blondie gushed. 

“Hi  _ baby  _ puppy!” one with bright green eyes practically shouted in his ear.

There were too many people, too many words being thrown at him and Sage thought he was going to lose it. He hated being the center of attention, he was always a loner, it was all he knew. Sage stared back, frantically looking between them all. It was all he could do, since he was completely helpless.

Seya must have read his face, because he stood up straight and rubbed Sage’s back. “Alright, we can all get to know each other better during circle time,” he said. The kids got even more excited. “Later, though. It’s not time yet.” They deflated, but he made up for it by patting their heads.

“Go back to playing, the pup and I just need a little more time alone, okay?” The kids were disappointed up to when he mentioned ‘playing’, where they ran off back into the corner again, giggling.

The other monster, still holding one of the kids, closed the distance between himself and Seya. “Good morning, little one,” he said, looking at him with those creepy eyes. “I am Zephon, though I go by Zeph too. I’ll be assisting with your care.”

Sage glared up at him; anyone who had a hand in his kidnapping was automatically an  enemy. After getting no response, Zephon slowly reached out to try and touch his head.

Sage wrenched his head away. “Don’t touch me!” he snapped, baring his teeth slightly.

Zephon pulled his hand back and smirked. “You certainly have your work cut out for you, Seya. How is he?”

“Everything’s healing great. He’s a little fussy, but all new babies are.” Seya started  walking, with Zephon right alongside him. “I’m curious to see how he reacts to breakfast, though.”

Sage growled internally. The two were talking about him like he wasn’t even there, and to rub salt in the wound, Seya adjusted him so his chin was on his shoulder, facing away from whatever he was doing. While he was silently fuming, he caught the eye of the other kid.

This one had gray dog ears, a bandage on his cheek and a bright blue pacifier. He was looking at him curiously, like he was waiting for something. When Sage did nothing, he  tentatively waved. If anything, Sage felt bad that the kid was in the same boat he was, so he waved back. The kid brightened, and looked like he was about to say something, but Seya carried him away before he got the opportunity.

“Okay baby, let’s get the day started!” he said as he walked across the room. He sat in a rocking chair, and maneuvered Sage so he was being cradled close to Seya’s chest. Sage didn’t like where this was going. Not one bit.

“Alright, honeybun, open up!” Seya said cheerfully. Sage looked up, terrified to find out what was in store for him now; he paled when he saw a bottle in his face. He was horrified that the thing was even close to him. It quickly morphed into anger, and he glared daggers. 

“Get that shit away from me!” he snarled, trying to wiggle away from the offensive thing.

Seya hummed. “I know you’re new to all this, baby, but that’s no reason to use bad  words.” 

“I can say what I want!” Sage yelled, really starting to be fed up with all this baby talk.

“No, you’re too little to use language like that. And you need to eat. Please try it, honey-bunny.”

Too little to speak his mind? There was a list of fun words he wanted to say, but he  clamped his mouth shut and turned his head as far as he could. If his head was the only thing he could move, he’d use it to the fullest extent.

“Please, sweetie?” Seya said, bringing the bottle closer, lightly rubbing it on Sage’s lips. Sage growled. If he was forced to choose between his dignity and starving, he would gladly starve.

It was a mistake on Sage’s part to assume he had a choice.

“Okay, pup, if you're going to be stubborn I’ll just have to help you.” Sage didn’t even have time to figure out what he meant before he felt fingers on his side. They tickled, right under his arm near his ribs, forcing a gasp out of him. The snake used the opportunity to stuff the bottle in his mouth, and he couldn’t spit it out no matter how hard he tried to thrash or turn his head. When some of its contents was squeezed in his mouth, Sage was forced to taste it; it was just milk, and it wasn’t actually that bad. But he wouldn’t give in so easily; trying to spit it out only to find Seya lightly rubbing on his throat forcing him to swallow.

“Shh, it’s okay, just relax.” Seya whispered soothingly as he began to rock the chair. Sage choked half of the bottle down, but for the rest, he caved and drank it himself. Seya murmured praises the whole time. “That’s a good boy. See it's not so bad, it's not so bad. Get you strong and healthy and you’ll be running around in no time at all.”

“Such a good boy!” Seya praised when he finished it. “You did so well!” He set the bottle down, and lifted Sage up to his shoulder. He firmly patted his back, making a whine accidently slip out. Seya shushed him, and not long after he burped loudly. It made him feel a little better with the pressure gone, and having something on his stomach helped, but that didn’t mean he was forgetting his kidnapping and force-feeding. Seya picked him off his shoulder and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I’m so proud of you pup,” he said fondly. Sage’s lip curled.

Sage groaned before glaring at Seya. “My name is Sage. Stop calling me your pup. I’m not a dog!” he spat.

Seya’s smile widened. “Oh, what a lovely name! I think I’ll call you Sagie.” Sage rolled his eyes. Anything but ‘pup’.

“Well, now that your tummy’s nice and full, it’s circle time!” Before he could protest, Seya stood up and carried him over to the other hostages. They were rolling toy cars along a town patterned rug (probably being forced). The second monster was there too, with the redhead in his lap, scratching behind his… ears. Now that Sage was getting a slightly better look, something seemed off. The ears looked almost too realistic.

“Guess what time it is!” Seya asked excitedly as they approached. The kids cheered. “Circle time! Circle time!” They abandoned the toys and ran for that hidden corner again. Except for the one from before, who had to be carried too.

At the corner, the kids were already seated, all sitting on colored pillows in a semicircle. Zeph sat behind them, and Seya walked over to a small set of drawers. He pulled out a deck of those obnoxiously big and colorful kiddie cards. 

“Okay babes. It’s been a while since we played Guess the Shape, hasn’t it?” he asked as he turned around. 

“Yeah! Shapes!” the loudest one cheered.

“Except this time, we’ll spice it up.” Seya sat at the front of the circle, and moved Sage to his lap. He grimaced. Was he ever going to get some alone time?

“This time, since we have a new friend with us, you have to guess the shape, say your name and one random thing about you,” he explained as he shuffled the cards. “Lu, you’re first!”

The blond stared intently at Seya, waiting for him to draw a card. 

“Trapezoid!” he answered.

“That's right, prince!” Seya praised. “Now, introduce yourself!”

“I’m Luca, the oldest, and my favorite color is purple!” Luca said. Well if he was the  oldest out of all of them, Sage could try to link up with him and make a plan (if he wasn't too far gone).

Seya drew a new card. “Okay, who’s next?” 

“Me!” the tallest one said first. It took him a second, but he guessed right. “Rectangle!”

“Good job, pup!” Zephon said from his spot rubbing his head.

“I’m Mason and I like building! Also, I’m  _ actually  _ older than Luca,” he corrected. This Mason kid looked like the strongest out of all of them; they could use the extra muscle.

“What? No! He’s lying!” Sage’s eyes widened when Luca’s ears flattened against his  head, like they were actually attached to his head. It had to be some kind of mechanism he couldn’t see.

“No,  _ you’re  _ lying! I’m the oldest!”.

"Can’t you both be the oldest?" Seya cut in. They both seemed to consider it, and settled for glaring at each other. "Thank you."

"Me next! Me next!" The loud one bounced around.

"Alright Z, get ready!" 

As soon as ‘Z’ saw the card, his smile faltered. "Um..."

"Count the sides, hun." 

"One, two, three, four…" he hesitated. 

"Five, six…" Seya supplied. 

"Seven, eight! Eight sides!"

"Almost there! What’s an animal with eight legs?"

"An octopus!" he paused. "An octagon!"

"I knew you could do it! What a smart puppy I have!" 

Once he found out he was right, the kid was jumping all over the place, clapping  And… barking? He almost seemed like a hyperactive terrier.

“Oh, right! I’m Ziggy and pizza is the best food!” Ziggy said right before he plopped  back down. As nice as it was to see him finally get to the answer, it also concerned Sage how long it took. Not only that, but he, and the few who had answered so far, were acting like they were fresh into kindergarten or something. But Sage shook the thought for a moment. He needed all the help he could get, and while Ziggy wouldn’t be involved in any plan making, they could figure out how to use his raw energy.

Next was the redhead. Seya already had a card ready. “Sphere. My name is Adrian.  I hate the smell of coffee.”

Sage blinked. This was the first one to show anything but happiness. He pretty  much deadpanned the whole time. Was he miserable here too? They could use his silence to  make a clean getaway.

“Your turn!” Seya said, pointing to the last of them with a new card. 

“Uh, a cone?” he said hesitantly.

“Yeah! You got it!”

“Oh, and everybody calls me Cas, and… my favorite candy is Hershey’s.”

“Okay, last one!”

Seya picked up a new card, and held it in front of his face. It was clearly a triangle. Did his kidnappers think he was stupid?

“It’s obviously a-” Sage broke off at a horrible feeling below his stomach. Whatever he was wearing was getting warmer, and it was spreading, like he… Sage paled. He just pissed himself. He only realized Seya was waving his hand in front of his face when panic replaced the horror. He needed to figure out how to fix it, but first he had to play it cool so no one got suspicious. All he had to do was say what they wanted, then this stupid card game would be over. “Triangle,” he blurted, looking up at Seya. He managed to keep the waver out of his voice.

“Wow, good job, baby!” Seya was smiling, but it didn’t reach his eyes; he was studying him, trying to figure out what was wrong. It would be any second before he found out. 

“The name’s Sage and…I guess my favorite color is silver.” There. Now he could leave this circle of hell and figure out what the hell to do.

“You’re all so smart! I’m so lucky to have such clever pups and kittens.” Seya stood up, a little abruptly, startling a small noise out of Sage, who found himself resting against Seya’s chest again... “It’s outside time now! Zeph is going to take you outside, and Sage and I’ll join you in a second.”

‘Oh no!’ Sage thought knowing that Seya was on to him.

“Yay!” the kids cheered. They were all gone within seconds. 

“The baby needs a quick change. Watch the others for me?” he said to Zeph. Zeph nodded, taking the kid in his lap, Cas, with him as he stood. Cas must’ve heard what was happening, because he shot Sage a look that said “I know, I’m sorry” before he was taken away. Meanwhile, Sage’s breathing was picking up. Seya knew exactly what he did.

“W-wait,” Sage stammered. “It’s fine, I can do it myself.”

“Don’t be silly, baby. It’ll be over before you know it, then we can get you some fresh air.” Seya said walking toward a set of drawers on the other side of the room.

“I don’t need it. We can go outside right now!” Sage said desperately trying once again to push against Seya’s chest.

“No, you need a change. It’ll be okay, baby.” Seya stated warmly but firmly as he opened a drawer. Sage knew he wasn’t getting out of this, but it’s not for the lack of trying.

“Put me down! Leave me alone!” Sage yelled digging his fingers as best he could into  Seya’s chest.

“Shh, shh. It’s alright.” Seya said as he finished rummaging for whatever he needed before hiding it in his pocket and walking for a door by the corner they were just in.

“No! Let me go you fucking lunatic! You’re not touching me you sick pervert!” Sage  screamed he could feel the energy draining out of him. He didn’t have much time before he was going to be completely out of steam.

“I know, I know,” Seya hummed. Was he even listening?

Sage was running out of time. Seya had his hand on the doorknob. Surges of terror ripped through him. He had one final option left. Rearing back slightly Sage lurched forward biting as hard as he could into the nearest thing, which happened to be Seya’s shoulder.

Seya paused. He didn’t seem hurt, or even surprised if anything he looked…sad. “Sage, that was a BIG no-no. We don’t bite. I understand you’re scared, and it’s your first day, so I won’t punish you.” The ‘but’ hung in the air, and Sage instantly regretted it. The door to what was apparently a bathroom opened, and he stepped in.

Seya pulled down a tray from the wall like Sage had seen in public restrooms, feeling a sharp lick of horror and terror rise up into his chest. He was helpless as he was laid on it, his blanket taken away and thrown over his kidnapper’s shoulder, before being strapped down with safety straps. The straps held his arms to his sides as it went over his stomach and chest. Sage stared in horror as Seya brandished what he had grabbed from the main room: a grey pacifier, peppered with stars, with a strap attached to both ends.

“Wait, hold on- keep it away from me! Don’t fucki-” Firmly but carefully the pacifier  was pushed in, and just like the bottle, no matter how much he thrashed, he couldn’t spit it out. With the sound of the _click_ it was done. Now all he could do was try and silently beg. Sage tried to talk past it, but it just came out as jumbled whimpers and whines. Sage’s eyes began to water as Seya gathered cream, powder, and a fresh diaper from a cabinet above the table.

“It’s okay, lovebug. You’ll be okay,” Seya said softly. He cupped Sage’s face so tenderly that for a second Sage forgot what he was so upset about. He felt hot tears begin to roll down the sides of his face.

“I’ll be quick, okay? I would never do anything to hurt my baby.” Seya said, beginning to unsnap the onesie.

Sage sobbed. Why was this happening to him? What had he done to deserve this?

* * *

To Seya’s credit, he  _ did  _ make it quick. That didn’t make it any easier though. Sage had kept his eyes tightly shut during the process, his face turning tomato red at the thought of Seya’s actions. It was mortifying. After today’s events, he didn’t consider it his fault he cried. It was probably what they wanted him to do. At that point Sage was done, he wanted to hide in the deepest darkest pit and never come out.

Seya was now swaddling the blanket tightly around him, before gently lifting him back into his arms. “There we go, snug as a bug in a rug. Going to keep you swaddled for a little while till it’s time for that paci to come out. You did so well, I’m so proud of you. That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Seya said lightly, bouncing him as he walked in front of the mirrors.

Sage ignored his empty words and sniffled. Blinking tears away, he noticed they were standing in front of a mirror above a row of sinks. His face was puffy from crying, and the pacifier was still wrapped around his head. His hair looked cleaner than he could ever remember; they must’ve run a comb through it for the first time in forever. He had a couple bandages on his face, and now that he thought about it, he remembered both of his legs and an arm in casts when he was on the tray. It must’ve all been from the crash. If he had just minded his business, he wouldn’t even be here.

What stuck out now, though, were the dog ears sitting on his head. He honestly didn’t know what breed they were, all he knew was that they were a little pink on the inside, and gray on the outside. They did kind of look like a wolf. He couldn’t feel any kind of headband, but he refused to believe they were actually attached to his head. Warily, he tried to wiggle his ears (a trick he learned in 3rd grade), and lo and behold, the dog ears twitched.

He whimpered, catching Seya’s attention. “Oh, look! It’s us baby,” he said, stepping  closer to the mirror. “And there you are, my sweet little puppy. You’re so adorable.” He ran  practiced fingers through his hair and behind Sage’s ears rubbing at the bases of them. Sage couldn’t believe they had given him a dog's ears. He had been changed, forced to drink a bottle, forced into diapers and babies’ clothes, now here he was sucking on a pacifier swaddled against his will…and for what? Why were they doing this to him? Why?

“What do you say we get you outside, yeah? It’s been a while since you’ve gotten some sun and fresh air. Maybe we’ll be able to take that paci out too.” Seya said moving out of the bathroom.

Sage remained frozen and unresponsive. This was a prison. This was hell. He had to get out, he had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ik its suuuper late but i just had a bad case of writer's block ( ד○ ד;) TY Steel ily 💕💕💕💕💕 ALSO TYSM guys for 180+ kudos!!!! ⋆ටᆼට⋆ 💕💕💕💕💕 yall've been nothing but nice to me and i dont deserve it 😭😭😭😭


	10. Bandages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 💖o(°∀°o) !!

It turns out a light, cool breeze on his face was exactly what Sage needed. 

Just being outside helped him clear his head and get himself together. He was still being rocked in the arms of his kidnapper, but after the ‘incident’, he was completely drained. A combination of the milk, the aftermath of the crash and all the fighting left him a dead weight in Seya’s arms. The buckle pacifier had been removed a while ago, once Seya had deemed him “calm” enough.

“I didn’t like having to do that baby, but biting is very, very bad, as were those awful words you said,” Seya said, rubbing Sage’s cheek. “Words and biting hurt. I know you're not used to being here. You're scared, and angry so I’m going to give this as your final warning. Am I understood, pup?"

“Got it,” Sage grumbled tiredly.

That wasn’t to say he was too tired to acknowledge the world around him. The grass was  _ blue _ . It was cool to look at, he supposed, but this wasn’t Earth anymore. This could be a whole different dimension for all he knew. But, different planet or not, Sage wouldn’t stop trying to escape. Anywhere but this horrible place was fine; there had to be a city close by. He was nothing if not adaptive. Living on the streets, you had to adapt every day, and always be on your toes, ready for whatever was going to happen next. Sage had in some ways considered himself the wolf of the streets, learning the ins and outs of every street and alley till everything was second nature to him.

Sage couldn’t really say the same for the others, though. Either they were damn good actors or they really were brainwashed. He didn’t know how long they were trapped here, so he couldn’t blame them. It was the monsters’ fault for bringing them here and tormenting them, after all. The teen watched as the others played an intense game of tag, except Cas and himself. Both of them were sidelined; Sage had to lay in Seya’s arms and Cas had to sit by his feet. The kids with the cat-like ears and tails were agile and seemed to be pulling off inhuman moves, while the dogs were fast and seemed to have great stamina. They all had what it took to escape…maybe they just needed the direction to harness and master it.

Soon, they were all called back inside. Sage must have dozed off at some point from the rocking and the content feeling of the sun on his body, because his eyes snapped open at being lifted further up. It was infuriating to be so close to freedom, and yet so far. Even if he could walk, he still wouldn’t be able to get over, or even under the fence. And Seya never let him out of his clutches.

But he had to slip up eventually.

“Someone had an early nap, huh?” Seya cooed, as Sage blinked his eyes open, bouncing him a little. “That’s okay, it’s almost naptime anyway.” He carried him back into the playroom, where the others took their shoes off and ran for the bathroom, trying to get in line first. After they finished, they sat at a little table, like they were waiting for something; Cas was put in a highchair. Why were the two of them treated worse than the others?

Zeph appeared a moment later with a bowl of what looked like porridge or oatmeal in his hands. Sage watched as the alien gave Cas a warm smile as he set the bowl down pulling out a cloth bib from his pocket and carefully tying it around his neck.

“Alright Cassie, time to fill that belly,” Zeph said, pulling a large chair over and beginning to slowly spoon feed Cas the oatmeal. 

To Sage’s disgust, Cas allowed it, giving small smiles as Zeph fed him. “Trying to save some for later?” Zeph chuckled, wiping away a little bit of food when it escaped his mouth. Cas giggled, shaking his head.

“Sagie.” Sage turned to his brutalized name, finding Seya holding yet another bottle in front of him. Growling, Sage turned away. No way was he going to allow this a second time.

“Honey, you need to eat to get better,” Seya cooed, trying to entice Sage to latch on. Sage glared from the corner of his eye.

“Then give me actual food. Not a freaking baby bottle. I have teeth.  _ You  _ definitely know I do,” Sage growled, baring his teeth a little as if to prove his point.

Seya shook his head. “Sweetie, your tummy can’t handle anything solid right now. Besides, I have a nice warm yummy bottle right here. Why not give it a try? Hmm?”

Sage clamped his mouth shut, turning away again. Seya gave a small sigh before rearranging Sage around; he slid his arm around so that Sage was cradled against his chest, with his head leaning on Seya’s upper arm, using his lower arm to pin his face in place. He used his hand to carefully pry Sage’s mouth open, his other hand guiding the bottle into his mouth.

Sage struggled as much as he could as he was maneuvered around, letting out small noises  of irritation as he lost, the bottle slipping between his lips after just a few seconds. He tried to push it out with his tongue, only to be rewarded with a spurt of milk for his efforts. Sage had to swallow down the bottle or risk choking. The room swam the more he drank. He weakly tried to spit it out, but of course Seya was expecting it and tilted the bottle up.

Sage’s stomach curdled at the realization that the aliens were in control of everything. When and where he slept, how he relieved himself, what he did and wore. All he had left to himself were his thoughts, and he feared he wouldn’t even have those for long.

* * *

When Sage opened his eyes later, he groaned; he was swaying again, being carried down some hallway again. He knew automatically it was Seya holding him, since he was constantly in his arms. A heavy, post-sleep fog clogged his head. He pulled his head off of Seya’s shoulder, trying to place his location. His head swam with all the twists and turns, but eventually they stopped in front of a door he sort of recognized.

“Alright, let’s get this party started!” Seya said once he stepped inside. Sage heard cheers from the kids, then scampering. He turned his head again to see the others huddled in the middle of the room, bouncing excitedly. Before he knew it, he was being carried over to Zephon, who was sitting at one of the kiddie tables. His chair was angled towards the middle of the room to keep an eye on everyone. Sage recoiled when he lifted his arms toward him, like he was getting ready to hold him. Panic shot through his veins.

“I already said don’t touch me! Just leave me alone!” he barked, his words a little slurred. Sage tried to get a limb, anything to work, but his body remained limp and useless.

“Shh, it’s okay. Zeph’s going to hold you while we play. He won’t hurt you.” Seya passed Sage into Zeph’s arms, who held him no different than Seya would, but he still wanted to make it clear he wanted to be put down.

“I don’t want either of you!” He tried slamming his head back into Zeph’s chest, only succeeding  in making himself dizzy. What little energy he had was bleeding right back out.

“Aw, I know. You’ll be able to play with us soon, don’t worry,” Seya cooed, tapping his  nose lightly. Sage scowled, and was about to let him have it when something round slipped in his mouth, pressing his tongue down. His eyebrows shot up, and he tried to spit it out, but the hand (who he assumed was Zeph’s) that held it in didn’t give. No amount of struggling would get it out, and soon he slumped in his arms, already exhausted.

“Good boy,” Zeph praised, lifting his hand off of the pacifier. Sage considered spitting it out, but he was forced to choose his battles, and this wasn’t one of them. At least Zeph didn’t rub it in; he just lightly pet his head. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but it was better than what the others were doing.

“Are you guys excited for Four Corners?” Seya asked them. They cheered and started chanting “Me first!” over and over again. Seya made them guess a number he was thinking of, and Ziggy guessed the closest. Apparently, he was first.

“Okay, Ziggy, close your eyes and count to 10. No peeking!” Ziggy covered his eyes, and everyone ran to separate corners. Well, not exactly the corners, since this room was huge.

People were eliminated, new ones were made ‘it’, slight fits were thrown. It was boring to watch, and frankly Sage would have rather been doing anything else. It hit him that he hadn’t gotten a chance to really test out his mobility yet, since he’d been fighting for his life ever since he got here. He needed to know his limits, and the extent of the poison, if he was going to get out of here. He grunted behind the pacifier and bumped his head into Zeph’s chest, hoping he’d get the hint. Zeph perked up and looked down at him.

“Yes, pup?” he said as he took out the pacifier.

“Put me down,” Sage said curtly. 

"Are you bored?” Zeph asked, ignoring his attitude. Sage wondered how much he could get away with when Zeph was ‘in charge’ of him.

"Yeah, so put me down." Sage lightly growled.

"Would you like to play on the mat until the game is over?" Zeph asked, moving to lightly rub at Sage’s back. Sage perked up and nodded. He didn't know what the 'mat' was, but if it meant being alone for even a few minutes it was a win.

“What do we say when we ask for something?” Zeph asked, giving a knowing look.

“ _ Please _ ,” he said through gritted teeth. So much for not rubbing it in. 

“Good boy. You can have tummy time until snack time.” Zeph stood and walked over a  shelf, pulled what Sage assumed was the ‘mat’ out, and scooped a couple baby toys out of a bin. He laid the mat out by his chair, put the toys down on it, and placed Sage on his stomach. It made him look like an actual infant, but at least he was put  _ down _ .

While the others continued with their game, Sage figured out just how much control he had over his own body. He could wiggle his fingers and toes, and lift his head, but that was about it. Everything else was worthless. Was it permanent? Would he really never walk, or even move properly again? Sage couldn’t imagine a life like that. A life where he had to depend on these freaks for his every need. What if they didn’t want to bother with him anymore? Sage noticed he was spiraling, but the thoughts just kept coming. He was almost glad when Seya picked him up, because it gave him something to direct his anger at.

“Upsy daisy!” Seya said. “Did you have fun on your mat, pudding?” 

“It sucked, just like everything else here,” Sage growled his ears going flat against his head.

“You looked like you were having fun though. I knew you would like tummy time,' Seya replied. 'It's snack time now, pup! Do you want to try some applesauce?” He walked over to a table, and picked a little cup of applesauce and one of the rubber tipped baby spoons from an open drawer.

Sage grimaced. Bottles were bad enough, but now he was trying to spoon feed him? “No way.”

“Are you sure? Would you like a baba instead? Dinner’s a while away,' Seya asked. Like that was supposed to sway his decision. He’d gone days without food, and he could do it again easily.

"I said no," Sage stated firmly.

"That's fine, if you change your mind, it’ll be right here.” Seya put the cup and spoon back, and carried him over to that hidden corner. There was a TV on the wall, and the hybrids' full concentration was on a cartoon. It was one of the generic ones that made you count along with the character; Sage remembered being plopped down in front of a show like this whenever one of his ‘better’ foster parents didn't feel like interacting with him.

Seya sat behind all the hybrids on a beanbag of his own, and started murmuring to Zeph. Sage tried to listen in, but they were speaking so low they were impossible to hear, even though he was right there. He had no choice but to watch the kiddie show, which nearly gave him a headache from the bright colors and horrible squeaky voices.

_ Finally _ , the stupid episode ended and the TV was turned off. The kids turned around to face the aliens, probably to beg for another episode, but Seya was too quick for them.”

“Okay babes, you have two options. We can all do some coloring together, and then have free time, or you can have free time for the whole time.”

The hybrids unanimously agreed for an extended free time. ‘I know I’ll be miserable  either way, so why bother voting…’ he thought.

“But what are we gonna play?” Mason asked. “Who’s gonna choose the game?”

Zeph hummed. “Well, if Ziggy chose the day before, and Adrian chose yesterday, then today-”

“It’s my turn!” Luca finished. Mason and Ziggy groaned. 

“But you always choose the same one!” Mason whined.

“You choose the same games too, and I play them!” Luca sprung up, holding Adrian’s

hand and dragging him with him. “Hurry up, everyone’s getting a part!” he ordered. Ziggy and Mason groaned again, but followed him anyway. Seya stood too, and soon everyone was heading out of the area.

Luca was waiting in what looked like a playhouse section of the room; it had a fake  kitchen and everything. To Sage’s horror, Seya pulled one of those rocking baby’s seats from out of nowhere and laid him down in it with his blanket. The others trudged in; the aliens left them alone. 

“Okay, so I’m gonna be the mom! Mason, you’re the dad, Adri, you’re the cat and Ziggy’s the dog. Cas, you’re the son, and Sage, you’re the baby!” Luca announced, clapping  excitedly.

Sage growled. Great not only was he being demoted to a baby in all ways in his life but, now in a pretend life too.

“Uhh, but I’m always the dad! It’s so  _ boring _ !” Mason complained. 

“Be quiet and go to work! The bills won’t pay themselves!” Luca said, pushing Mason

out the area. He mumbled something under his breath and stalked off. “Adri, keep Ziggy from running off.” Ziggy, who was trying to creep away, was tugged back to the floor. The two wrestled for a second, until Adrian had him pinned.

“NOO!” he cried. “You’re a cat, you’re supposed to let me win!” 

“No,” Adrian replied simply, before he started licking him. Sage’s nose wrinkled. These people acted like animals, talked and acted like toddlers, and aliens were in control. What was his life now?

Luca giggled. “Okay, family! I’m gonna make dinner. Cas, set the table.” Cas nodded,  pulling out play tableware and spreading it around the small table. He pulled up a chair next to him; Sage eyed him warily.

“Hey,” he said quietly. Sage nodded in response. This could be the first actual  conversation he would have with a coherent human like him in who knows how long. He wasn’t sure how much longer the kid had been here than him, but he could have some helpful information on him. 

“So… you just got here?” Cas asked shyly.

“Yeah. How long have you stuck here?” Sage responded, his voice neutral.

“Um, two weeks I think,” Cas replied with a shrug.

Sage winced. “Two weeks of  _ this _ ? How do you manage?”

“Well, it’s not so bad…” Cas replied before stopping when Luca slammed a large pot in the center of the table.

Was the brainwashing already setting in? “No, this is torture. I don’t think I can take another minute of this,” Sage stated, his hands balling into fists.

“I was pretty weirded out my first day too, but that’s how everyone acts here, so you don’t get judged or anything.” Cas replied nonchalantly.

“Just because you don’t get judged for it doesn’t make it  _ right _ . These freaks  _ kidnap  _ and  _ torture  _ people!” Sage nearly yelled but quickly gained control on his volume.

Cas winced, but looked over at Luca, who had turned from the fake stove to glance at them curiously. “You should probably keep it down, they could punish you if they heard you,” Cas hushed once he turned back around. 

“Why? Do they beat you or something?” Sage whispered in a serious tone.

“I haven’t gotten punished yet, so I’ll do anything to keep from finding out.” Cas paused. “But the others don’t seem beaten, so probably not? And trust me, I know beatings.”

“So, you’ll roll over for them just to avoid getting a slap on the wrist,” Sage deadpanned.

Cas threw his hands up in defense. “Hey, they’re like a story tall, who knows what  they’re capable of!”

“Well, I’ll do whatever it takes to get out of this hellhole,” Sage swore, his ears going flat against his head.

“Can you even, like, walk or anything?” he asked gingerly. Sage narrowed his eyes. “I  didn’t mean it like that! You’re just, ya know...” His eyes flickered down to his legs. “...out of commission.” 

Smart choice of words. “They poisoned me with something, I can’t even fight back!” 

Cas studied him for a second. “You really don’t like it here?”

“Would you like to be drugged and gagged and tied down for the rest of your life?” Sage demanded, his nails digging into his palms. 

“...no, that would suck,” Cas admitted. “But they don’t do all that if you just go along  with them.”

“You want me to give in and just let them do whatever they want?” Sage growled  through gritted teeth.

“No! I’m just saying... if you  _ act  _ like you like it here, then maybe they won’t do super  weird stuff to you?” Cas supplemented.

It… wasn’t a horrible plan. Sage was about to reply when Luca interrupted him. “Okay, dinner’s ready!” he called. “Mason, get over here!”

When Mason took his seat at the table, Luca ‘served’ them plastic food, then went on to tell a ridiculously detailed story about a party he went to. 

“Seya, how much longer until it’s my turn?” Mason asked. 

“Luca’s time is almost up, pup,” Seya called from somewhere behind them.

“Thank  _ gosh _ .”

“ _ Anyway _ , like I was saying, there was this huge pool and a chandelier then this lady fell and spilled her plate everywhere and…” Luca just went on and on and on. Sage cast Cas a look that said, ‘Does he always talk this much?’ Cas gave a weak smile and nodded. 

Sage was a fraction of a second away from snapping when Zeph stepped into his  peripheral. “Mason, it’s your turn,” he said. Mason and Ziggy cheered and ran, while it was Luca’s turn to groan.

After being able to let his guard down for a moment, Sage put it right back up in the alien’s presence. Zeph stepped over and scooped him up, taking the baby seat with him. He put it down inside that area Sage saw earlier; the one with the town-patterned rug and countless toys. By the time Sage was set down, and the others made it inside, Mason and Ziggy already had costume capes on.

“We’re gonna play Superheroes vs. Villains!” Mason announced. “I’m the hero,  obviously. Ziggy, you’re my sidekick. Luca, you’re the villain!”

Luca rolled his eyes. “Whatever, villains are better anyway!”

Mason made a face. “Ew, no! They steal and wreck things.”

“Without bad guys, heroes wouldn’t even need to be there.”

“Well, there’s always gonna be bad guys. That’s why we put you in jail.”

“And we’ll break out like we always do. Right, Adri?” Adrian nodded, though it was obvious he wasn’t even paying attention.

“He can be your sidekick.” They both turned to Cas and Sage. “You two can be normal people. Me and Ziggy have to save you from the bad guys.”

“Hmm… what kind of bad are we gonna be?” Luca asked Adrian. 

“Thieves,” he replied. 

“Bank robbers! They can be the hostages!” Mason said.

“Okay! Let’s build the bank!” Ziggy clapped before grabbing blocks.

Sage watched them use foam blocks to make little walls, and use green ones for money.

Again, he couldn’t tell if they were putting on a show for the aliens, or if these really were their lives. Cas seemed like the most reasonable of them all, considering he wasn’t necessarily enjoying his time here either. Above that was his fear. He seemed neutral about his treatment, but was still scared of the aliens. If Sage could put some common sense back in his head, he might have an ally.

Luca put on a black top hat (with ear holes, of course) while Sage spaced out, and they all took their places. “Give us all your money or else!” Luca said as he kicked down a foam wall.

Adrian was holding a drawstring bag, and he held it out. They paused. 

“Puppy, that’s your cue!” Luca hissed. Cas jumped, looking up from some book he was  reading. 

“Oh, sorry. Uh, someone help us!” he said. Then they all looked at him. 

“What?” Sage demanded.

“You have to say your line too, baby!” Just hearing someone probably younger than him call him ‘baby’ was enough to piss him off. 

“I’m not a baby, and I’m not playing your stupid game,” Sage snapped.

The hybrids looked stunned, like this had never happened before. 

“You totally are a baby, Seya and Zeph said so!” Luca said, hands on his hips.

“And my game’s not stupid!” Mason called from his hiding spot. 

Cas tapped him on his arm. “If you just say what they want, they’ll go back to their game and leave you alone,” he whispered.

“Screw that! Your little game is stupid- everything here is! It’s all bullshit. Can’t you  people see that?” Sage scowled at them. “The alien’s wiped you clean of any common sense.  You’re all practically adults, yet here you are. Playing pretend, eating what you're forced to, being treated like you’re in kindergarten! This isn’t right!”

“Hey! Seya and Zeph read us bedtime stories, and play with us, and put bubbles in our baths! They love us!” Mason defended. “They took us from bad people and gave us a new home!”

“Yeah! And we love them!” Luca added. The others stood beside him their arms crossed nodding in agreement.

“You call that _love_?” Sage grimaced. “They kidnapped us for Christ sake! They’ve been force feeding me bottles! Making me shit in a diaper! I can’t move my own body because of them! THEY’RE MONSTERS! Huge, sick freaks who take pleasure in dominating others. I mean, I bit Fang-face, and he didn’t even flinch!”

Adrian looked at Sage with wide eyes. “You…bit Seya,” making his words a statement instead of a question. The others gasped; Mason’s eyes filled with tears, Luca turned pale, Cas stared at him in both disgust and… pity?

Before Sage could respond, Ziggy, who was dead silent the whole time, burst forward. 

“ _ YOU’RE A MEANIE! _ ” Ziggy practically leapt onto Sage, digging his claws in his  stomach and baring his teeth in his face. His eyes were wild, something no full human being  could mirror. Sharp pain exploded from the tears, making Sage yelp. “You’re a bully! You’re a stupid head meanie bully! I HATE YOU!”

Sage growled back. Ziggy hissed swiping his claws at Sage’s face. Not waiting for a  second chance, Sage sunk his teeth deep into Ziggy’s arm, earning a yelp of pain from him,  making him stagger back a moment before launching back onto Sage. Hissing angrily Ziggy  started pounding his fist into Sage’s head and face. Sage yelped slightly when one of Ziggy’s flailing punches hit him in the eye.

“ZIGGY! SAGE!” Sage heard Seya gasp before the sound of fast-moving feet and large hands pried Ziggy off of him. He recognized Seya’s hands, who plucked him up, then turned him around, checking for damage.

“What is the meaning of this?” Zephon asked sternly; Sage could see him holding a still livid struggling Ziggy.

“Sage! Are you okay? Where does it hurt?” he asked, obviously worried. Sage had gotten hurt much worse; he would live from a couple claw marks and a possible black eye, though he had to admit, Ziggy had gotten in a few decent swings in.

Ziggy snarled. “He’s a meanie! He bit Seya! He called our game and us stupid! I wish he had  _ never  _ been saved!” Large gasps sounded in the room before Ziggy burst into tears. Seya looked down at Sage, who averted his eye ears flat against his head. Sighing, Seya turned to Zeph. “I have to take him to the back.” Sage didn’t like the sound of that. “Will you...?”

Zeph nodded, giving a sad smile. “I will take care of Ziggy and the pack,” he replied.

With that, Seya turned on his heel and started for the door. Seya briskly carried Sage  down a new set of hallways, these ones leading into what looked like an animal shelter. Rows of cages were lined along the wall, some even holding people inside. Sage watched some aliens in scrubs walking by, a couple pulling humans along with leashes.

‘God, it’s even worse than I thought! This is a full-scale, human abducting  operation,’ Sage thought. Seya stepped through a set of double doors into what looked like a combination of a vet’s or doctor’s office and nursery. There were metal tables and medical equipment everywhere. Gently Seya took his blanket off, laid it on one of the tables and set Sage down on top of it.

“Now, let’s see how bad your booboos are,” Seya murmured. As soon as he started to unsnap his onesie, Sage turned bright red. He was really going to undress him out here in the open?

“Don’t take it off!” Sage demanded, though it sounded like a beg to even his own ears. 

“Shh, relax honey. You’re a baby, no one will mind,” Seya hushed. “I need to see how  bad Ziggy scratched you. Then we’ll take a look at your face.”

“I don’t care, leave it on!” Sage yelled trying and failing to squirm away.

“Hm,” he hummed nonchalantly. He once again pulled out that horrible pacifier and  forced it on. Sage whined and squirmed as he was stripped of the onesie, leaving him only in the diaper, and Sage shivered at the crisp air. Looking at his stomach and chest, he saw deep, purple bruises all over it, and small cuts where Ziggy attacked his stomach. Seya pulled latex gloves on before lightly touching each mark, before moving on to Sage’s face. Very lightly he touched around Sage’s left eye, and pulling a handheld light from his pocket, Seya shined a light into Sage’s eyes.

“Look up for me baby,” Seya said tilting Sage’s chin up. Sage complied, though grumbled at the overzealous worrying. After a moment Seya smiled and clicked the light off. “Good news, puppy! It’s not too bad. I’ll get you patched up in no time, but then we’re going to have a talk. I’m not happy with your behavior.”

Sage would have rolled his eyes but grimaced slightly instead, feeling a few of the bruises on his face beginning to hurt. Seya bent over and grabbed a plastic bottle of something from underneath the table, and dabbed a little onto several cotton balls.

“Okay, Sagie, take a deep breath for me. This is going to sting a little,” Seya said before lightly touching a cotton ball to one of the claw marks, making Sage groan in discomfort at the sting. “I know, sorry baby. We have to get these clean though.” He wiped all of the cuts, and wrapped his stomach in a bandage before lightly dabbing a little medicine on his cheek and eyebrow. “There we go, all better!” Seya said as he put the supplies away, throwing his gloves and the used cotton balls away and placing a fresh, thicker onesie on Sage. “Now we’re going to have a serious talk about your behavior, mister.”

Sage watched as Seya’s face suddenly turned into one of disappointment. “I know you’re new here, Sage. But you’ve broken several rules several times today, and even started a fight with another hybrid. You’ve been a very bad boy today.” Sage gulped; for some reason his words hit harder than they should’ve. “I didn’t want to have to do this, but you have crossed the final line.”

Seya picked him up and carried him to one of the kennels on the wall. Oh  _ God _ . “I think you need a little bit of quiet time. You’ll sit here for a little while and think about what you’ve done, then I’ll come get you.” He unlatched a cage door, and started lowering Sage into it. With a couple pats on his stomach, he locked the door and walked out of the room.

Not that Sage cared. He was glad he was finally alone, since he’d been begging for it since he woke up. This was fine, great even. 

Except it wasn’t. 

It was pretty quiet, except from the occasional bark or clang of metal. There was a  blanket and a toy inside with him, but he couldn’t play with it even if he wanted to. Not to  mention how dim it was inside the cage. He just felt so...vulnerable. And alone. Tears burned in his eyes. Everything he’d gone through during the day, from the straps to the bottles to the diapers…it was too much. Sage bit down so hard on the pacifier he thought his jaw would snap. None of this was making any sense to him. Why were Seya…his kidnapper’s words ringing so hard in his head? Why were the other’s words…hitting him so hard? Why now of all times did he just want to…to be held…to cry…when he knew it only made him look and feel weak?

However, once a hiccup slipped out, he couldn’t hold the rest in. By the time his sobs died down into harsh breaths, and tear tracks were streaked across his face Seya was there, unlatching the cage and sweeping him in his arms holding him close while smoothing his hand over his back.

“Shhh it’s alright pup. It’s okay, you’re okay. Don’t cry sweet boy, I’m here now. You  did great. It’s over now.” Sage hated how he relaxed a tiny bit. “That’s it, breathe for me. You’re alright.” Seya had broken him down without even laying a hand on him. Sage felt so pathetic. “I think someone’s ready for an early evening. Let’s get you taken care of little one.”

Gently Seya took him out of the clinic, down the hall, and into the nursery where his day had started. With great care, Seya set him down on a changing table and buckled him down before unsnapping the onesie. Sage whined lightly behind the pacifier as he realized he had gone in the diaper again without even knowing it; however this time, it wasn’t just pee… tears started to roll down his cheeks as Seya began to clean him up.

“It's alright honeypie. That’s what a diaper is for,” Seya said, but instead of putting on a new diaper after he finished, Seya began removing the entire onesie before picking him up again and moving to the far side of the nursery where a large sink sat. Sage whined again at the sight of the baby seat sitting in the center. “A nice warm bath will help you relax, baby.”

Carefully Seya removed the bandages, and set Sage down on a little cot beside the sink as he ran warm water into it, before adding a little bubble bath. He wrapped Sage’s casts in plastic and set him in the bath chair. With skilled fingers, Seya rubbed a soft wash cloth over Sage’s body and head, being careful around the cuts and bruises. Sage whined again, but didn’t have the energy to fight and decided to just get it over with. The water did feel nice…and he could hardly remember the last time he had a warm bath.

A few minutes passed before Seya deemed him clean and took him out of the bath,  wrapping him in a plush, soft towel, patting him dry, and setting him down again on the changing table. Swiftly, Seya massaged lotion into his skin, after rewrapping his cuts and scrapes. A noticeably thicker diaper was placed under him before he was powdered, taped up, and slipped into a warm onesie and swaddled in his blanket.

“Let’s get you a nice baba before bed sweetie,” Seya said, moving once again towards the sink where he skillfully began preparing a bottle one handed. Sage watched listlessly, his mind already half asleep before Seya finished and settled down into a rocking chair. After releasing him from the pacifier and slipping it onto the dresser, Seya used his thumb and helped slip the nipple of the bottle into Sage’s mouth.

Sage groaned lightly around it but felt too tired and unwound to protest. Instead he suckled lightly as Seya rocked and hummed lightly smiling softly down on Sage. “Good boy. You’re my good boy Sagie. Today was hard, wasn’t it honey?” Seya murmured as he rocked him. “I know. It might be hard for a while. You’ve had it so bad for so long, even though you didn’t deserve it. I just want to take care of my baby boy. I know you feel like you don’t want to be taken care of. That you can do it yourself; but why not try letting someone help you, love you and relax a little, and see where it takes you. You never know, you may end up liking it.”

Having finished the bottle, Seya lightly pressed Sage to his shoulder and burped him. Seya brushed some of Sage’s hair out the way and pressed a kiss to his temple. Sage fought to keep his eyes open, but it was a losing battle. Still humming, Seya stood up and placed Sage into a crib, turning on the star and moon shaped mobile above his head. Rubbing his head one last time Seya kissed Sage’s forehead.

“Sweet dreams pup, tomorrow will be better,” Seya whispered, before walking out of the room. Sage laid awake for a little while, lost in thought; everything seemed to be set against him here, like he was destined to fail. Maybe he could play along for a while… and find a way to escape in the end. Failure wasn’t an option, but you could always adapt to the game. After all, as the saying goes, if you can’t beat them… at least pretend to join them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a lot of action in this one Σ(･o･) 💖also why did ao3 make this so difficult to post, it was glitching hard (ד○ד;) and at 3am no less

**Author's Note:**

> pls leave any questions, comments or concerns ╰(◡‿◡✿╰)


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